Kingdom Hearts: Reconnection of Souls
by iceandfire66
Summary: A year after the events of Kingdom Hearts 2, Sora receives a letter from King Mickey, and embarks on a quest to save Aqua, Ven, and Terra. But old enemies are regaining their power, and soon Xehanort himself will return. Canonically follows Birth By Sleep
1. Chapter 1: A New Mission

**Kingdom Hearts: Reconnection of Souls**

**Chapter 1: A New Mission**

**Disclaimer: All copyrights belong to SquareEnix and Disney**

On Destiny Islands, the sunset beautifully illuminated the water with a red hue. Sora and Riku were standing by a palm tree on the island. Their last journey had ended a year ago. Organization 13 was defeated, including Xemnas, their cruel superior. All was peaceful in the worlds.

"Nothing's changed, huh?" Riku asked. Sora smiled.

"Nope. Nothing ever will" his friend replied. Suddenly Sora looked up at Riku.

"Hey Riku, what do you think that was, the door to the light?" Sora asked. His older friend hopped off the tree and pointed at the brunette's heart.

"This" Riku said. Sora held his hand over his chest.

"This?" he asked in confusion. Riku nodded.

"Yeah. It's always closer than you think" he stated. Sora grinned in response.

"Sora, Riku!" Kairi yelled out. The boys turned to see Kairi run up to them with a bottle in her hands. She stopped in front of them, and stood while panting.

"Hey, what's up?" Sora asked. Kairi showed him the bottle.

"Look" she said. Sora widened his eyes. The bottle had the King's seal.

"From the King?" he asked in surprise. Sora opened the bottle and rolled out the letter. The three friends began to read it.

_Dear Sora, Riku, and Kairi_

_First, I'd like to thank you three for everything that you did to protect the worlds. You really helped out a lot of folks. The heartless appearances have drastically decreased, and very few nobodies have been seen since you defeated Xemnas. _

_Now, there are a few things I have to tell you. Long before any of you wielded the keyblade, there were three powerful and heroic keyblade warriors: Terra, Aqua, and Ventus. Also at the time, there was an evil master of the keyblade known as Master Xehanort. He and his apprentice Vanitas tried to gain control Kingdom Hearts, but these three warriors and I stopped them in a huge battle. Master Xehanort and Vanitas were defeated. Aqua and Ventus survived, but Ventus was put into a coma because Vanitas temporarily took over him. You see, Vanitas was the dark side of Ventus, and he possessed him until Aqua and I beat him._

_After the battle, Aqua said that she would bring Ventus somewhere safe. That was the last time I saw either of them, and none of us knew what became of Terra._

_A few weeks ago, I found a message in Jiminy's Journal. It said "We must return to free them from their torment". I digitized the data in the journal to investigate, and eventually, I found out that Aqua was still alive. She's trapped in the realm of darkness. I didn't learn anything of the other apprentices._

_Now, there's something I need you guys to do. Because you have the keyblade, you may be able to help these three warriors, Sora. You may even have a connection to them. I need you to find them and bring them back. Also, Kairi and Riku are welcome to help you. I'll be arriving at your islands on my gummi ship next week._

_If you really don't want to do this, then tell me when I get here. You've done enough for the worlds, and asking more may be asking too much. If you don't want to have this burden, then I'll do this quest on my own._

_Your friend,_

_King Mickey_

_P. S. Don't use your keyblades on the island. They might attract the Heartless or the Nobodies._

Sora rolled up the letter and exchanged glances with the others.

"So, what do you guys think?" he asked them.

"I'd be happy to help the King. It's been nice being home, but it sounds like these people really need our help" Riku answered. Kairi sighed.

"I'm sorry guys, but I don't think I can go. I've gotten really far in my high school education, and I don't want to go on an adventure right before the start of school." Kairi explained. She looked at Sora.

"What about you, Sora?" Kairi asked. Sora scratched his head.

"I really don't know. I mean, I hate not being with you" Sora said. Kairi blushed.

"Aw, how sweet" Riku teased. Sora threw a punch at him but Riku dodged it. Sora turned back to Kairi.

"I'll figure it out by tomorrow" Sora promised.

* * *

The dark waves slowly crashed against the shore of the Dark Margin. Ansem the Wise, disguised in a black coat, sat on a rock, gazing at the waves. He heard footsteps, soon followed by a voice.

"Who are you?" a woman asked him. He turned to her.

"I rarely have guests here" he replied. The woman had a beautiful figure and blue hair.

"My name is Aqua. What are you doing in the Realm of Darkness?" she spoke. Ansem looked at the waves.

"Well, the first time I came here, the second time, and even now…" Ansem began to say, but his mind began to wonder. He didn't know the answer.

"How did I get here?" he asked out loud.

"I can't clearly remember anything" he added.

"I see" Aqua said with pity. She felt sorry that the man had amnesia.

"I fell into this world. I've been wandering for such a long time, yet I haven't found a way to return home." Aqua stated. Ansem looked at her curiously.

"You want to return to your world?" he asked. Aqua nodded.

"To keep a promise I made to a friend" she explained. Ansem looked at the waves again.

"Friend" he said to himself.

"Most of my memory has been lost, but I do remember a boy very similar to you" Ansem said. He noticed Aqua's keyblade.

"Just like you, he used a keyblade so that he could protect his friends, the worlds, and everyone in the realm of light" Ansem said. Aqua looked at him with puzzlement.

"Protect the worlds?" she asked him. She wondered if the worlds were in danger again.

"Please, tell me how the worlds are right now" she begged.

"Time and time again the worlds have nearly been swallowed by darkness, but each time they have been saved by a boy wielding a keyblade" Ansem said. Aqua looked at the sand as her mind wandered.

"Could it be?" she asked aloud. She wondered if he meant Terra or Ventus. She smiled and looked at Ansem with hope.

"Tell me, is his name Terra or Ven?" she asked him. Ansem searched his memories.

"I don't remember those names" he said.

"Oh" Aqua said in disappointment. Ansem looked out into the water.

"It's been a year since I saw that boy" Ansem said. He held up his hand and examined it.

"In trying to have vengeance, I did horrible things to that boy and his friends. I caused the creation of beings of nothing. Yet it was an accident brought upon by curiosity. The fault of my heart as a scientist" he added. Aqua's attention was captured again, and she looked at the hooded figure.

"While he slept for a year, I stored my greatest research data within him" Ansem said. He suddenly thought of something.

"Perhaps, if he were to do it, the boy whose heart could connect with anyone, the door would open, and maybe he could save those suffering souls" he said.

"Everything is born from sleep" Ansem stated affirmatively. He looked at Aqua, who was confused.

"Yes, even you" Ansem told her. Aqua shifted her legs to get a better view of the man.

"Who is that boy?" she asked.

"His name is… Sora" the man replied. Suddenly, Aqua felt an unexplained sensation within her heart, and thought that Ven and Terra could be saved. No, she knew that they could be saved. Tears poured out of her eyes, yet she smiled anyway.

"Sora" she repeated. She stared at the water, knowing that she would one day meet the boy.


	2. Chapter 2: Awakening and Love

**Kingdom Hearts: Reconnection of Souls**

**Chapter 2: Awakening and Love**

**Disclaimer: All copyrights belong to Square Enix and Disney**

_Sora looked from side to side in confusion. Underneath him stood a tall and brightly illuminated pillar. It was decorated with images of Kairi, Riku, Donald, Goofy, as well as a huge image of himself. Endless darkness surrounded the pillar._

"_It's really a strange place" a voice called out. Sora turned around, and saw a figure he didn't recognize. The man was about his height, and wore a red and black bodysuit. It looked similar to the suit Riku once used. The person's face was hidden by a dark helmet._

"_A destination of darkness perfect for resolving internal conflicts" the man continued. Sora eyed him strangely._

_"Riku, is that you?" he asked. The man laughed._

"_Unfortunately for you, no" he replied. He withdrew a darkly colored keyblade. The end of its blade was shaped like a gear, and it had a blue eye. The handle of the keyblade had the same blue eye. Sora withdrew his oblivion keyblade. The man charged at Sora and slashed his keyblade. Sora blocked it, and the two pressed their keyblades against each other. The mysterious man jumped back and ran toward Sora again. He slashed at Sora as fast as he could, yet Sora blocked every attack. Their keyblades pushed against each other again._

"_What do you want?" Sora asked._

"_To test your power" the man replied. He swung his keyblade to the side, knocking Sora's keyblade out of his hand. The man swung his keyblade at Sora's face, but Sora grabbed the keyblade by its dull middle with one hand. He reached out with his other hand, and summoned his keyblade._

"_You can hold two!" he yelled in shock. Before the warrior could react, Sora stabbed the man's helmet open with oblivion. The man spun around and fell face-first to the ground, and Sora approached him while holding both keyblades. Sora couldn't shake the feeling that he knew the man. His voice seemed so familiar._

_"Tell me who you are!" Sora demanded. The man got up, with his back turned toward Sora. Sora noticed that he had black, spiky hair._

"_What's your secret? Where do you get such power?" the man asked._

"_My friends are my power" Sora replied. Suddenly, the man laughed even more hysterically than before._

"_That's exactly what he told me!" he said in disbelief. The man turned around, and Sora stared in shock. The man's face was identical to Sora, only his face had yellow eyes. His hair was the same shape as Sora's as well. Sora backed away in confusion, and the man continued to laugh._

"_My name's Vanitas. I guess you could say I'm the darkness from your heart. Well, it's really his heart, but who needs details?" the man said with a smirk. Sora stopped walking and looked at him._

"_His heart? Who are you talking about?" Sora asked. Vanitas looked at him in surprise._

"_What, you still don't remember? I mean, you were hardly four years old, but even so" Vanitas told him. Sora went into his fighting stance._

"_Start explaining!" he demanded. Vanitas chuckled again._

"_Or else what?" he asked. This time, Sora smiled._

"_I was hoping you'd ask" he said. Sora aimed his keyblade at Vanitas, and Vanitas looked at him with a confused gaze. Sora shot a bright beam of light at him, and he began to scream in pain._

_"AHHHH! NO! I won't fade away again!" he screamed. Vanitas jumped into the air and curled into a ball. He then emitted a sphere of darkness that began to spread across the pillar. Sora tried to stop the darkness with his keyblade, but it was futile. He felt himself fall into the darkness._

_

* * *

_

"AH!" Sora yelled in shock. He looked around to see that he was in his bedroom. He stopped panting, and slowly breathed. He looked in the mirror.

"My… dark side?" he muttered in confusion. Then it hit him. Vanitas was mentioned by the King in his letter. But the letter said that Vanitas was Ventus's dark side.

However, Vanitas could just be an illusion created by Sora's darkness. Although he had a huge amount of light, Sora did have darkness within him. Then again, his darkness was normally represented by a black silhouette of himself or a giant Heartless. Also, his darkness never wielded a keyblade like the one that Vanitas had. Sora didn't think that it was a mere dream. He had been to that same pillar before, about a year ago, when he fought against his Nobody, Roxas. He felt that like Roxas, Vanitas was somewhere inside of him.

Sora looked at the clock, which read 9:27.

"I guess I'll get up. I'm not going back to sleep after that anyway." Sora stated.

* * *

Inside of Merlin's house, the members Radiant Garden Restoration Committee were in their usual positions. Cid was coding for something on the computer. Leon was shining his gunblade. Aerith was reading through one of Merlin's fictional books. Yuffie was admiring her shuriken. Merlin was examining a spell-book. The group heard the front door open.

"Excuse me" a voice said. They turned to see a man with red hair. He was wearing an orange shirt underneath a black vest, and he had baggy pants on.

"Is this the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee?" he asked.

"Yeah, is there something you want from us?" Leon asked.

"Actually, yes. Membership" the man replied. The group exchanged nervous glances. They didn't just make ordinary people members.

"We don't just hand these out, you know" Leon scolded him. Yuffie glared at Leon.

"Squall, lighten up. I'm sure he knows what he's getting into" Yuffie said. Leon turned to the man again.

"Do you?" he asked.

"Of course. I'm able to hold my own against Heartless and Nobodies. Plus, I really want to restore this town's glory" the man said. Leon looked into the man's emerald eyes. He nodded with satisfaction, and took out a membership card.

"What's your name?" Leon asked. The spiky-haired man smiled.

"Lea. L-E-A. Got it memorized?"

* * *

Sora wandered into the Secret Place. He smiled as he began to examine the drawings on the wall. He sat down near the paopu fruit drawing. Just as he had drawn as a boy, a paopu fruit went from his hand to Kairi. Suddenly, his smile vanished when he saw the rest of the drawing. It had another paopu fruit going from Kairi's hand to Sora's mouth. He instantly knew what it meant – Kairi drew it. He smiled to himself, and kept gazing at the drawing. Suddenly, he heard footsteps. He turned to see Kairi walk in. She smiled when she saw him.

"Hey" Sora greeted.

"I thought I'd find you in here" Kairi said. She sat down next to him, and Sora pointed to the drawing.

"Did you think you'd find this?" he asked. Kairi looked at the drawing in surprise, and began to blush.

"When did you draw it?" Sora asked.

"Right after I got back to the islands. After you sealed the door to Kingdom Hearts and got separated from me…" Kairi said. Her mind began to remember that day, and the promise that Sora made. Sora suddenly thought of something.

"I'll be right back" he said. He rushed out of the cave. Kairi continued to remember when she was separated from Sora:

_Kairi stood on a solid platform of sand._

"_Kairi!" Sora called out. The girl saw Sora running towards her._

"_Sora!" Kairi said. She rushed over to him. Just as the two reached each other, the ground split in half, separating them. Kairi held on to Sora's hand, refusing to let go._

_"Kairi, remember what you said before. I'm always with you too. I'll come back to you, I promise!" Sora swore. Kairi accepted it: he had to go._

"_I know you will!" she yelled. She finally let go, and watched Sora float away on his platform._

Kairi stopped reminiscing when she heard footsteps. Sora entered the cave with a paopu fruit. He ripped off a piece and handed it to her. She grabbed it and smiled in return. The two enjoyably ate their fruit. Soon enough, they were both finished.

"There. Now we'll never be separated forever" Sora said. Kairi held his hand.

"Even if we were apart, I know you'd come back" Kairi said. Sora smiled at her, but suddenly looked serious.

"Kairi, we've been friends for a long time" Sora said.

"Yeah, we have been" Kairi replied.

"But, that's not what I want" Sora said. Kairi's smile vanished. Sora looked into her eyes.

"I want to be something more" Sora explained. Kairi's eyes widened. Sora grew more nervous.

"Kairi, I lo-" before Sora could finish, Kairi kissed him. Sora's eyes widened in shock. She kept kissing him and held his back with her hands. Sora's eyes relaxed, and he held her back with his hands. Kairi stopped, and looked into his eyes.

"I love you" she said. Sora smiled.

"I love you even more" he replied.

* * *

Riku was sparring with Tidus. Wakka and Selphie were watching. He blocked every attack from the younger boy.

"Come on, is that the best you got?" Riku asked. Tidus became angry, and charged at Riku. Riku sidestepped him and struck him to the ground with his wooden sword.

"I guess there's nobody on this island who could challenge me" Riku bragged.

"Oh really, Riku?" Sora asked. Riku saw the boy dash up to him and take out his own wooden sword.

"Ready to lose, Sora?" Riku asked.

"No, but I think you are" Sora said. Kairi emerged from the Secret Place and watched the two friends fight each other.

The two friends began to battle each other fiercely. They exchanged several attacks and blocks but neither one had landed a hit yet. Finally, Riku went completely berserk, throwing quick and powerful strikes at Sora. Sora tried to hold the attacks, but his guard began to slip, and Riku knocked the sword out of his hand. Sora watched in horror as the sword landed on the beach. Riku prepared to strike Sora, but before he could, Sora rolled over to his sword and picked it up. Riku dashed towards him and swung his sword, but Sora jumped over him. Sora struck Riku in midair, knocking him to the ground.

"Ha! I win!" Sora declared. The other kids walked away, impressed that Sora beat Riku. Kairi remained, however, and walked over to them. Riku got up from the ground and looked at Sora.

"Nice job. I wasn't expecting that last move" he admitted. Riku's smirk disappeared when he noticed something on Sora's lip.

"Is that… lip-gloss?" Riku asked. Sora's eyes widened in surprise and he turned away from Riku.

"Uh, I don't know what you're talking about" he said. He quickly wiped his lips with his hand. Riku noticed that he wiped it away.

"That was, wasn't it!" Riku said. Suddenly, Riku looked at Kairi's lips, and noticed that she was wearing lip-gloss. He stared at them and started to grin.

"Oh man, I can't believe it! You two are going out!" Riku said. He started to laugh.

"Hey, stop laughing" Sora said. Kairi glared as Riku continued.

"Sora and Kairi, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G" Riku taunted. Sora took out his keyblade, and jumped on Riku. He held him against the ground.

"Okay, relax, relax!" Riku said. He stopped laughing and stood up.

"I don't see what's so funny about it, Riku" Kairi said angrily.

"I'm sorry, I went too far. Seriously, though, I think it's great that you guys are going out. How long have you been a couple anyway?" Riku asked.

"Well, we just started today" Sora said. Riku looked at him in surprise.

"And you got caught that quickly?" Riku asked. Sora scratched his head in embarrassment.

"Well, I didn't think it through" Sora said. Suddenly, Kairi thought of something and smiled.

"There's nothing wrong with Sora" Kairi said. She put her hands around Sora, and looked at Sora.

"After all, he has the key to my heart" Kairi said as she pointed to the keyblade. Sora looked at her strangely, but Kairi gave him a wink. Sora realized that she was joking, and nodded in response.

"Yeah, don't let him bother you my paopu girl" Sora said. Riku stared at them in confusion.

"Aw, you're so sweet!" Kairi said. The two started rubbing their noses. Riku looked at them strangely.

"Jeez, get a room you two" Riku said. The two didn't stop. Riku sighed.

"Well, I'm not gonna just stand here while you two get caught up in the love. I'm leaving" Riku stated. He walked away, and the couple watched him leave. When he was out of sight, Sora and Kairi started laughing and lay down on the sand.

"The key to your heart? Where'd you come up with that lame line?" Sora asked. Kairi looked at him with a grin.

"Oh, I'm the one with lame lines? How'd you think of paopu girl? That's not much better" Kairi said while laughing. The lovers finally relaxed, and stared at the blue sky above them.


	3. Chapter 3: Denizens of Darkness

**Kingdom Hearts: Reconnection of Souls**

**Chapter 3: Denizens of Darkness**

**Disclaimer: All copyrights belong to Square Enix and Disney**

Aqua's mind wandered as she stared at the shadowy sand. She knew that Sora would eventually find her, but how long would it take? Would it be a few weeks or several years? She turned to her right to look at the hooded figure again. She was very interested in who this mysterious person was.

"What missing from your memory?" Aqua asked. Ansem looked at her, and began to think.

"I've forgotten so much" he replied. Ansem continued to piece together his memories.

"The oldest thing I remember is being trapped in a realm similar to this one. An empty realm where I survived by remembering my past." Aqua looked at him curiously.

"Do you know what you were remembering there?" Aqua asked. Ansem shook his head.

"I can't recall the specifics. I remember that I was obsessed with revenge. But I don't know who my anger was directed toward" Ansem said. Aqua felt sorry for the man.

"I feel terrible about your memories" Aqua said.

"There is no need for pity" Ansem replied. "My memories have been returning slowly. Interestingly enough, when I speak with you, they come back at an incredibly fast rate." Aqua stared at the man, questions racing through her head.

"Do you remember your name?" she asked.

"Yes" Ansem answered. He took off his hood, revealing his blonde hair and face.

"It's Ansem. Ansem the Wise" he stated. Aqua looked at him in shock. She knew a man by the same name. He was the ruler of Radiant Garden.

"I know who you are" Aqua said. Ansem looked at her with desperate hope.

"Then tell me, I beg you… who am I?" he asked.

"You used to rule a world called Radiant Garden. When I traveled there, everyone spoke very highly of you" Aqua said. Ansem stared at the sand, trying to recover his memories. Suddenly, they flowed into his mind.

"I remember now…" Ansem said. "I remember everything." His expression grew angry.

"My apprentices – they were the ones who trapped me in that realm. I cared for each one of them, yet there was one whom I liked the most. I respected him more than anyone else, and considered him a friend and an equal" Ansem explained. Aqua's mind was compelled to ask Ansem about the apprentice.

"What was his name?" Aqua asked. Ansem narrowed his eyes.

"Xehanort" he responded. Aqua gasped, and looked at the man in shock.

"Xehanort was your apprentice? But he was an evil man, and much older than you!" Aqua said in misunderstanding. Ansem gazed at her with confusion.

"No, Xehanort was far younger than me" Ansem said. Aqua was completely puzzled. The Xehanort that she knew was an old man who tried to gain Kingdom Hearts and failed. Could there be another Xehanort?

"What did this Xehanort look like?" Aqua asked.

"He had silver hair, a muscular body, and yellow eyes that later turned brown" Ansem said. Aqua didn't understand it: his description didn't match the Xehanort that she knew at all.

"The Xehanort that I knew was very different" Aqua said. Ansem looked at the ground below him.

"I'm afraid I don't understand it either" he told Aqua. Ansem gazed at the sea.

"In any case, Xehanort was my most trusted apprentice. Later on, however, he gave into darkness, and became a Heartless and Nobody" Ansem said. Aqua looked at him strangely.

"What's a Heartless? And what's a Nobody?" she inquired. Ansem turned to the woman.

"When a person completely surrenders his heart to darkness, he loses his heart. That heart turns into a Heartless, a being of pure darkness. The body and soul left behind turn into a Nobody, a creature that shouldn't even exist" he explained. Aqua was curious about these creatures.

"Are these the beings that threaten the worlds?" she asked. Ansem nodded.

"As dangerous as they are, they are not invincible" he added.

"Most weapons can destroy these creatures, especially the Keyblade" Ansem informed her. His expression became more serious.

"However, I don't know if they are completely destroyed" Ansem admitted.

"What do you mean?" Aqua asked.

"I do not think that all Heartless and Nobodies simply cease to exist. I believe that exceptionally strong Heartless and Nobodies do not simply fade out of existence. Rather, I think that they are transported back to the realm of darkness, or the realm of nothingness. Furthermore, I believe that if a person's Nobody and Heartless meet each other, they can join together and become the original person that they were" Ansem explained. The scientist began to recall what happened to Xehanort. His Heartless and Nobody had been defeated, but had they truly been destroyed?

"Perhaps that's what became of him" Ansem muttered.

* * *

A figure clad in black strolled across a stone bridge in the realm of darkness. On the ground far below him, hundreds of Nobodies and Heartless fought against each other for a few hearts. The figure took off his hood, revealing his long silver hair. The man was Xemnas, the former superior of Organization XIII, an association of powerful Nobodies who desired to have hearts of their own.

"Foolish creatures. They don't know the true potential of a heart" Xemnas said. He heard footsteps, and looked at the other side of the bridge. A man in a brown robe slowly approached him.

"I've been searching for you" Xemnas said. The other man took off his hood, showing his longer silver hair and tanner body. It was Xehanort's Heartless, also known as Ansem, Seeker of Darkness.

"It's a huge realm. I'm surprised we were able to find each other" Xehanort's Heartless replied.

"You and I both know the situation. In our current conditions, we're too weak to try to conquer the realm of light" Xemnas explained. He smiled.

"However, if we joined together…" the Nobody said. The Heartless raised his hand.

"Say no more. I know what must be done" Xehanort's Heartless replied. The two joined their hands, and a thick mist of darkness surrounded them. The mist faded, and only one figure remained. It was Xehanort, the complete being.

"I have finally returned" Xehanort said. He summoned his Keyblade, which was a mix of silver and grey colors. One end of the Keyblade had a blue eye on it. He admired the weapon with a smile, but his expression turned serious.

"One man doesn't make an army, however" he muttered. He flew to the ground below him. The Heartless and Nobodies stopped their fighting, and stared at him. He realized what they sensed: he had a heart.

"Do not be deceived by my heart! I am the most powerful user of darkness in this realm! Join me, and soon you will have an abundance of hearts" he promised. An aura of darkness formed behind him, and it turned into his Guardian Heartless. The Nobodies hesitated, but knelt to the ground. The Heartless did the same. Xehanort smiled, and began to laugh. He opened a huge portal of darkness, and his minions filed into it.

"Soon enough, I will return to the worlds. And once I conquer them all, Kingdom Hearts will be mine!" Xehanort declared.

* * *

As always, the sunset over Destiny Islands was bright and glamorous. Sora was sitting on the tree that he, Riku, and Kairi were always on. He stared out at the water, and held the King's letter in his hand.

"Sora" a voice said. He turned to see Riku strolling towards him.

"Riku" Sora replied. Riku stood near the tree, and gazed at the water.

"Have you decided?" he asked.

"Yeah" Sora replied. Kairi walked up to the tree, and looked at Sora.

"Sora" Kairi said. He turned to look at her, the love of his life, the person that he would do anything for.

"Kairi" Sora said. He jumped off the tree, and nervously looked at the ground.

"I, uh…" Sora began to say.

"Yeah?" Kairi asked. Sora looked up at her with a smile, and approached her.

"There are still a lot of sad people out there" Sora said. He stared at the ground, and looked back at Kairi. If he went through with it, he'd be leaving the islands, and Kairi, for a while.

"Everyone's waiting for me. I have to bring back everything that's connected to me" Sora explained. Riku smiled, knowing that his friend made the right choice. Kairi smiled, and handed Sora her lucky charm.

"Have a safe trip" Kairi said. Sora looked at her strangely.

"Kairi, I'm not leaving yet" he told her.

"Oh, well, hold on to it anyway" Kairi said. Sora nodded, and Riku faced Kairi.

"Is it a good idea to leave you here by yourself?" Riku asked. Kairi narrowed her eyes at him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked. Riku nervously rubbed his back.

"Well, no offense, but you're not exactly a master of the Keyblade" Riku said.

"Hey, I helped you guys at the castle with Organization XIII" Kairi argued.

"Yeah, but you only fought shadow Heartless, not exactly the toughest opponents" Riku explained. Strangely, Kairi smiled. Her Keyblade appeared in her hand, and Riku smirked.

"So you're saying I can't fight?" Kairi asked. She went into a fighting stance.

"Kairi, wait!" Sora yelled. She turned to him.

"Remember what the letter said? The Keyblades might attract the Heartless or Nobodies" Sora reminded her. Kairi nodded, and her weapon vanished. Riku stretched his arms.

"Man, I'm wiped out. I'm heading home. See you guys tomorrow" Riku said. He waved goodbye and ran to his boat. Sora sat next to the tree, and Kairi lay beside him.

"How long do you think you'll be gone?" Kairi asked. Sora shrugged.

"Who knows? Hopefully not as long as my other adventures" the boy replied. Sora looked at her.

"But Kairi, no matter how far away I go" Sora began to say. He pointed at her heart, and she pointed at it as well.

"You'll always be in here" Kairi finished. Sora smiled and the two looked at the sunset.

* * *

The bailey had been repaired since the huge Heartless battle a year earlier. The walkway leading to the path below had been repaired as well. Lea and Leon walked down a path surrounded by two huge structures of ice. Lea stared at the ice.

"Things really have changed" Lea said.

"When the Heartless took over this world, it lost all of its beauty. We've slowly been bringing it back" Leon explained. Lea nodded, and began to remember what had happened:

_A boy with spiky, red hair stood next to a boy with long blue hair. The boy with the red hair looked at his friend._

"_You ready, Isa?" he asked. The blue-haired boy, who had a scar in the shape of an X on his face, nodded at him._

_"Yeah, let's do it Lea" he replied. The two emitted an aura of darkness. Lea became a monstrous Heartless with dark-red patterns. Isa, on the other hand, became a similarly monstrous heartless with dark-blue patterns._

"To think I gave into the darkness" Lea muttered. Leon looked at him strangely.

"What did you say?" Leon asked.

Suddenly, a group of Neoshadows surrounded the two. Leon took out his gunblade. Lea's hands emitted balls of flames. The flames turned into two red chakrams, the same weapons he had used as Axel. Lea slashed two Heartless, and they disappeared in a puff of black smoke. Meanwhile, Leon cut through the Heartless with his gunblade. The two looked around to see no more Heartless.

"Pay attention to your surroundings! There are probably more!" Leon ordered. Lea heard a quiet crack, and looked at the icy formation behind Leon. At the top, Lea saw a Heartless throw a huge piece of the ice at Leon.

"Look out!" Lea screamed. Leon looked up, and stared in horror at a piece of ice that was barely a yard away from him. Suddenly, he felt Lea charge into him, pushing him away. The two barely made it out of the way as the chunk of ice slammed into the ground. The two stood up, and Lea looked at Leon.

"You know, you really have to pay attention to your surroundings" Lea scolded. Leon narrowed his eyes at the man, but smirked.

"I have to admit, you're better than I thought" Leon told him. The two continued walking, yet Leon continued to look at Lea strangely, wondering how he gave into darkness and what happened.


	4. Chapter 4: The New Journey Begins

**Kingdom Hearts: Reconnection of Souls**

**Chapter 4: The New Journey Begins**

**Disclaimer: All copyrights belong to Square Enix and Disney**

The halls of Disney Castle were quiet as usual. The Gummi Garage, however, was as noisy as ever. Next to a platform near the gummi ship, Donald and Goofy stood in front of King Mickey.

"Guys, while I'm on this trip, I'm trusting you with the castle's safety" Mickey said. The two saluted their King.

"Yes sir, your Majesty!" Donald replied.

"We'll make sure it's safe!" Goofy promised. Mickey nodded and entered the gummi ship. He faced Chip and Dale.

"Everything looking good, boys?" Mickey asked. The chipmunks saluted him.

"All systems are ready for launch, your Highness!" they answered. Mickey smiled, and entered the cockpit. A huge gate opened, and the gummi ship rotated so that it was facing it. Mickey waved Goofy and Donald goodbye, and the ship accelerated out of the castle.

* * *

As usual, it was a sunny day on Destiny Islands. Sora and Riku were waiting by their tree, awaiting King Mickey's arrival. Kairi approached the two.

"How do you know he's coming today?" she asked.

"We don't. We're just hoping he is" Riku answered.

"Well you waited all day yesterday, and nothing happened" Kairi remarked. Sora shrugged.

"He said it would be a week. Maybe he's a bit behind schedule" Sora said. Suddenly, Riku stood up as he saw an object approaching in the distance.

"Wait, I think I see something!" Riku said. He smiled as object sped towards them.

"It's the gummi ship!" Riku exclaimed. The object got closer, and he frowned at what he saw. It was a couple on a speedboat. They made a sharp turn right before hitting the land, and continued to speed on the water. Sora grinned and looked at Riku.

"Man, I haven't seen that gummi ship design before!" Sora mocked. Riku glared at him while Kairi laughed. Suddenly, the two heard an engine roar, and looked above them to see a gummi ship descending towards the island. It landed on the water near the dock. King Mickey exited out of a ramp on the ship. The three met him at the wooden dock.

"Hey there guys!" Mickey greeted.

"Hello your majesty!" Kairi responded.

"Long time no see!" Sora replied.

"Great to see you, Mickey" Riku said. Mickey noticed that Sora was holding the letter.

"I see that you got my letter" Mickey said. The hero nodded.

"Yeah, I read it" he answered.

"Well, are you guys gonna help me?" Mickey asked. Kairi's head hanged low.

"I'm sorry your majesty, but school is really important for me right now, and I just can't leave the islands" Kairi explained. Mickey put his hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright, Kairi. Only you know what's best for you!" he encouraged. The King turned to Riku.

"I'm ready when you are" Riku said. Mickey smiled.

"Thanks, Riku. I knew I could count on you" Mickey said. He faced Sora.

"I'm coming with you" Sora stated affirmatively. Mickey nodded.

"That's good, because we really need you" Mickey said. Riku and Mickey headed towards the ship, while Sora walked to Kairi.

"Now you can say goodbye" Sora said, referencing to when she wished him a safe trip earlier. She held him and kissed him. Riku turned to look at the two.

"Uh oh, the lovebirds are saying goodbye" Riku joked. Mickey turned to see the two kissing, and he smiled at the sight. Kairi ended the kiss.

"Make sure you come back" Kairi said. He nodded, and ran towards Riku and King Mickey. The three waved goodbye, and Kairi waved in return. They boarded the ship, and it vanished in the blue sky.

* * *

The Radiant Garden Restoration Committee members were eating breakfast in the basement of Ansem the Wise's former castle. Leon was eyeing Lea cautiously. Lea glanced at him, and realized that Leon was staring at him.

"Something wrong?" Lea asked. Leon crossed his arms.

"I heard what you said the other day. You said that you gave into darkness once" Leon stated. Axel looked at him in shock, and put down his fork.

"Well, there goes my cover" Lea muttered. He stood at the table.

"I wasn't always a normal person. I didn't always look… like this" Lea began to explain.

"About nine years ago, the Heartless invaded this world. When they did, I accepted the coming darkness. I gave into it, and became a Heartless. When my Heartless was created, my Nobody was also created, a Nobody in Organization XIII named Axel." The other members glared at Lea, while he stared at the ground.

"I've made so many mistakes, hurt so many people…" Lea said. He looked at the others again.

"But that part of my life is behind me! I don't want to be a cruel person!" Lea declared passionately. The room was silent for a moment. As far as Leon and the others knew, the entire Organization may be back, and Lea could just be trying to spy on them. On the other hand, Lea didn't seem like he was kidding.

"Alright, I believe him" Leon said. The others nodded in agreement.

"What made you give into darkness?" Yuffie asked. Lea rubbed the temple of his forehead.

"Man, it's hard to remember" Lea said.

* * *

_Isa and Lea were standing outside of Ansem the Wise's castle. Isa faced the castle._

"_There are rumors going around about this place" Isa said. Lea looked at him strangely._

_"Really? Like what?" Isa asked._

"_Supposedly, they're experimenting on people's hearts in there" Isa said._

"_Why would they do that?" Lea asked._

"_I heard that they're trying to study the darkness of hearts" Isa replied. Lea didn't understand it._

"_What's so great about darkness anyway?" Lea asked._

_"The real question, is what isn't great about it" a voice said. The two jumped around to see a muscular man with silver hair._

"_Who are you?" Lea asked nervously._

"_Xehanort, an apprentice of Ansem the Wise" the man answered. He approached Lea_

"_So, you want to know about darkness?" he asked. The two nodded, and Xehanort smiled._

_"I'm sure that you two, like the rest of this world's residents, have been taught to fear darkness, to be wary of it. However, there is no need to fear the darkness" Xehanort began to say._

"_Darkness is the true essence of the hearts of worlds and people" Xehanort said. Lea eyed him with confusion._

"_Hearts of worlds?" Lea asked._

"_There are many worlds besides this one, and their hearts keep them intact" Xehanort explained._

"_So darkness is the essence of the universe?" Isa asked. Xehanort smirked._

_"Yes, you seem to understand it well" Xehanort answered._

"_What kind of power does darkness offer?" Lea asked. Xehanort summoned a small purple and black sphere of energy. He threw it at a wall, and it exploded, creating a huge hole. Lea and Isa stared in amazement._

"_Darkness is the strongest source of power. If you want to achieve your full potential, you must completely give in" Xehanort told them. Before leaving, he looked at the two._

_"There's something interesting about you two… it's as if I know we have a destiny together" Xehanort said._

_"Perhaps if we all follow darkness, we will" Isa said. Xehanort nodded._

"_Yes, perhaps you're right" he said. The apprentice walked away, leaving the two alone._

_

* * *

_

The others stared at Lea, intently listening to his story. "We thought he was right, so we decided that one day, we'd give into the darkness" Lea said. Cid scratched his head

"So wait a minute, if you turned into a Heartless and a Nobody, then how'd you turn back to normal?" Cid asked.

"Well, it turns out that my Nobody, Axel, wasn't truly gone. He just ended up in the Realm of Darkness. There, he found my heart, for my Heartless had already been defeated. When my heart merged with him, I returned, with all my Nobody's memories and those of my own" Lea explained.

"But wait, if you survived, then does that mean the other Organization members survived?" Leon asked.

"I'm trying to figure that out. I've spent the past year searching all over the worlds, trying to make sure that they haven't come back. As far as I could tell, they haven't yet" Lea said.

"But does that mean they could still be out there?" Merlin inquired. Lea nodded.

"That's what I'm afraid of" he admitted. The group continued eating their breakfast, wondering if the Organization would return. But if those Nobodies did, Leon and his group would be ready.

* * *

Riku nervously gripped his seat as he sat in it. Sora looked at him curiously.

"Riku, why are you so scared?" Sora asked. Riku looked at him, his face full of fear.

"I didn't think you'd be driving!" he yelled.

"Give me a break, I've piloted this thing over a dozen times" Sora said.

"Then I feel sorry for Donald and Goofy" Riku said with a bit of humor. Sora ignored him and put the ship on autopilot. He turned to Mickey.

"Where are we going?" Sora asked.

"Well, the gummi ship normally can't go to the Realm of Darkness. So I want to head for Radiant Garden and see if Merlin knows a way to do that" Mickey explained. Sora nodded, and set the course for Radiant Garden. The ship automatically headed for it.

Sora was still worried about Vanitas. He hadn't made contact since their battle, but Sora knew he was inside of him.

"Your Majesty, could I ask you something?" Sora inquired.

"Sure thing, Sora" Mickey responded.

"You know how you guys said that you defeated Vanitas?" Sora asked. Mickey nodded his head.

"Yep, he's long gone" Mickey said.

"Well, I met him the other day" Sora revealed. Mickey looked at him in shock, his eyes wide open.

"What!?" Mickey yelled. Riku looked at Sora as well, his face filled with confusion.

"I had this dream where I was on a huge pillar. I've been there before, and I know that it's not just a dream. So I saw a man in a red and black jumpsuit. We fought each other, and I finally broke his helmet" Sora began to explain.

"But when he turned to face me, he had the same face as me! The only difference is that he had black hair and yellow eyes!" Sora exclaimed. Mickey was completely perplexed. He didn't know how Vanitas returned, and he never saw the man's face.

"I'm afraid I don't understand it Sora" Mickey said.

"But what does he want with me?" Sora asked.

"He wants to possess you" Riku answered. Sora looked at Riku in surprise.

"What did you say?" Sora asked.

"While we were in Castle Oblivion, Xehanort's Heartless kept trying to gain control of me. At one point, he succeeded, but I got my body back soon after" Riku explained. Sora continued to stare with confusion.

"Castle Oblivion… that's where I lost my memories, right?" Sora asked. He remembered Riku explaining it to him last year. Riku nodded at his friend. Suddenly, the keyboard began to beep. The group out of the cockpit, and saw that they were approaching Radiant Garden.

"Well gang, looks like we're here" Mickey said.

* * *

Sora, Mickey, and Riku walked around the marketplace. They noticed that the area seemed to be deserted.

"Where is everybody?" Sora asked. Suddenly, the three felt a huge shockwave come from behind them. They turned to see a huge black Heartless that had dark shades of purple. The creature had two horns on its head, two arms with claws, and two legs with claws as feet. It also had a long tail with spikes on it. The three Keyblade warriors summoned their weapons. Riku began to attack the head. The creature blew fire at him, and he barely dodged it.

"Whoa!" Riku yelled. Mickey jumped next to him to help fight the monster. The monster continued to lunge its head and blow fire at them, yet every time the two evaded the beast.

"Sora, we could use some help!" Riku called out.

"I'm on it!" Sora replied. He jumped on the creature's back, and ran up to its head. He stabbed his Keyblade into it, and the creature screeched in pain. It flung its head around, and Sora fell to the ground. He dizzily got up, and faced the Heartless with his Keyblade. His blue eyes looked at the creature's yellow ones. Suddenly, two circles of fire flew into its head, and it cried out in pain again. Sora turned to his left in shock, as he saw who he thought was Axel. The man smiled at Sora.

"Sora, long time no see!" Lea said. Riku and Mickey looked in shock at the person.

"Axel!" Sora called out.

"Actually, its Lea, but now's not the time to catch up!" Lea said. He turned back to see the monster swipe his claw at him. Lea surrounded himself in a shield of fire, burning the claw. The creature howled in pain.

"Sora, use your Keyblade!" Lea said. Sora hurled his Keyblade like a javelin at the monster, but it merely deflected off its tough skin. Mickey and Riku aimed their Keyblades at the beast, and shot beams of light into it. The creature was stunned, and could barely move. Lea considered the situation, and his eyes lit up with an idea. Sora aimed his Keyblade, but Lea lowered it.

"Wait, I have a better idea. Throw your Keyblade again" Lea said. Sora nodded, trusting him. He threw the Keyblade, and Lea ignited the weapon on fire. It cut into the Heartless, and came out on the other side. The creature screamed in pain again, as it faded away in a burst of light. Riku and Mickey approached Sora and Lea. At that moment, the townspeople opened their doors. They saw that the monster was gone, and cheered for the heroes. Leon ran towards the group.

"Oh, I see you've taken care of it" Leon said. Sora approached Leon.

"What gives, Leon? You won't even say hello?" Sora asked. He stared at the boy.

"Hi" Leon said. Leon walked away, and Sora turned to Lea again.

"So how'd you come back?" Sora asked.

"Turns out, when a Nobody finds his original heart, he becomes his original self. After we fought together, I ended up in the Realm of Darkness. I wandered for a long time, until I finally found my heart. We merged, and I came back here" Lea explained. Sora looked at him seriously.

"Are the other Organization members back?" Sora asked. Lea lowered his head.

"I honestly don't know. Even if they are, most of them are probably content with having a heart. That's what the majority of them truly wanted" Lea said. Sora suddenly looked worried.

"But if Xehanort's back…" Sora began to say. Lea became serious.

"Then we're in for trouble" Lea finished. He examined the others.

"What are you guys doing here anyway?" Lea asked.

"We need Merlin's advice" Mickey answered.

"Funny you should mention that. That's where I'm going. Come on" Lea said. The group walked down the road towards the wizard's house.


	5. Chapter 5: Rescued from the Dark

**Kingdom Hearts: Reconnection of Souls**

**Chapter 5: Rescued from the Dark**

**Disclaimer: All copyrights belong to Square Enix and Disney**

_Aqua sat on a bench in a courtyard lit by the moonlight and a few lanterns. She heard footsteps, and smiled when she saw him. He had brown hair, blue eyes, and a well-built body._

_"Terra" Aqua said. The young man smiled in return, and sat next to her. He looked at her._

_"What are you doing out here?" Terra asked._

_"Just gazing at the stars" Aqua replied. Terra looked at the sky's bright moon and stars._

_"To think, all those bright dots are worlds like this one" Terra said._

_"Beautiful" Terra stated. Aqua nodded._

_"They are" she agreed  
_

_"I wasn't talking about the stars" Terra said. Aqua looked at him in surprise, and saw that he was staring at her. She blushed and he chuckled._

_"You're blushing" Terra teased._

_ "No I'm not!" Aqua denied. Terra kept laughing._

_"Aqua, you're just awful at lying!" Terra said._

_"Shut up!" Aqua playfully tried to hit him, but Terra blocked it. She kept pretending to hit him, and he blocked it every time. The two stopped as they began to laugh. Finally, the two settled down._

_"Do you think it will always be like this?" Aqua asked. Terra shook his head._

_"I doubt it. We're not going to be here forever" Terra said. Aqua looked at him, listening intently._

_"What we can do, is the make the most of the time we have here. And enjoy being with…" Terra began to say. Terra looked into her eyes._

_"…the people we care about" Terra finished. He softly held her waist, and Aqua's eyes widened. He smiled at her, and she relaxed. The two opened their mouths, and slowly moved their heads toward each other._

_

* * *

_

Aqua woke up, and saw that she was still on the beach in the Realm of Darkness. She stared at the eternally dark sky.

"Terra, where are you?" Aqua asked. She took out her charm, and held it tightly. It was shaped like a star, and resembled the paopu fruit of Destiny Islands.

"It doesn't matter. I'll find you, no matter what" Aqua promised.

* * *

A man with an eye patch was sitting at a diner. The waitress couldn't help but stare at the scar on his face. He noticed this, and grinned.

"See anything you like?" the man asked. The waitress glared at him, and took out a piece of paper.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"How about a date with you?" he asked.

"How about you shave that ponytail, and you'll have a slim chance" she snidely remarked. His smile disappeared.

"Give me black coffee" he muttered. She walked over to the coffee machine.

"Looks like she isn't interested, Xigbar" a voice said. The voice sent chills down the man's spine. He turned to his left, and stared in disbelief. It was Xehanort, in his form he had as an apprentice of Ansem the Wise.

"Or is it Braig now?" Xehanort asked with a smile.

"Xe- Xehanort? You're back?" Braig said in disbelief.

"Yes, I'm at my full power again. All my memories are restored" Xehanort said. Braig looked at him curiously. All his memories were restored?

"Really, all your memories?" Braig asked. Xehanort nodded.

"Then tell me, what were you called before becoming Ansem's apprentice?" Braig demanded. Xehanort summoned his Keyblade, which surprised Braig.

"Master Xehanort" the silver-haired man answered. Braig was in shock. During his apprenticeship to Ansem the Wise, Xehanort didn't have any of his memories. He didn't remember who he was before he studied under Ansem. Yet now he did. Braig smiled, content that Xehanort remembered everything.

"So, the dark master has truly returned" Braig stated.

"How'd you like to join forces?" Xehanort asked. Braig rubbed his chin.

"I'm not sure" Braig said. Xehanort narrowed his eyes at him, but his expression returned to normal when he saw the waitress approach him. She gave Braig his coffee, and turned to Xehanort.

"What can I get you, handsome?" the woman asked. Braig frowned in jealousy, and Xehanort smirked.

"I'll have what my friend's having" Xehanort answered as he looked towards Braig. Braig arched an eyebrow, and realized that Xehanort wasn't planning on leaving without him. The waitress nodded and strolled away.

"Listen, I need more people on my side, like you and the rest of Organization-" Xehanort began to say.

"The Organization's gone" Braig said. Xehanort eyed him suspiciously.

"None of them became Somebodies?" he asked. The Organization had fourteen members at one point. Three of them had defected, but the rest were loyal to Xemnas's cause. They were powerful too. Could they have returned as Nobodies but not found their hearts? Or did they find their hearts and simply believed that having a heart was all they needed?

"I don't know, and even if they did, they're probably not gonna join us" Braig said.

"Why not?" Xehanort inquired. Braig looked at him as if he were an idiot.

"Because, they didn't care about world domination, Xehanort. All they cared about were hearts. If they are back, that means they have hearts now, which means that there's no way they'd join us" Braig explained. Xehanort knew he was right, yet he looked at Braig with a smile.

"Join us?" Xehanort asked. That implied that Braig was willing to partner wit him. Braig chuckled.

"Alright, you got me. I still want to take over the worlds. I'm in" Braig answered. Xehanort smiled, happy that he had another ally.

"Very good. Meet me at Ansem's castle in an hour" Xehanort said. The Keyblade Master stood up, and walked away. The waitress came back, and looked from left to right. She looked at Braig.

"Where'd your cute friend go?" she asked. Braig glared at her, and knocked his cup over. The coffee spilled on her skirt.

"AH!" the woman yelled in surprise. Braig grinned and held up his hands.

"Oops!" Braig said. He stood up and walked out of the diner, as the waitress's eyes glared at him like daggers.

* * *

Merlin was reading a book in his house. He heard the door open, and saw Lea, Sora, Mickey, and Riku.

"Hello there, lads! Good to see you again!" Merlin greeted.

"It's good to see you too Merlin. Have you learned any new spells?" Sora asked.

"At my age, I've learned about as many spells as I can. Now, what can I do for you?" Merlin asked.

"We're looking for a way to travel to the realm of darkness" Mickey stated.

"I see" Merlin muttered. He traveled over to a desk, and began shuffling things out of the drawers. Finally, he held up a bright white stone.

"Here it is" Merlin said to himself. He handed it to Sora, and the boy examined it.

"What is this?" Sora asked.

"It's an very powerful and enchanted stone. It will allow you to teleport wherever you'd like" Merlin said. He held up his index finger.

"Be careful, however. This stone doesn't have unlimited energy, so put it to good use!" Merlin warned them. The group nodded. Sora looked at Mickey.

"Where is Aqua?" Sora asked. Mickey scratched his head.

"Actually, I'm not really sure" Mickey admitted. Sora stared at him with his eyes widened.

"So you had us leave the islands to help you find someone, but you don't know where this person is!" Sora yelled. Mickey jumped at his loud voice. Riku glared at him.

"Calm down, Sora. We'll figure it out" Riku said. Mickey motioned towards the stone with his hand.

"Give it to me" Mickey said. Sora handed it to the king.

"Aqua and I had a strong bond. My heart was put in contact with hers a while ago, and she told me that she was in the Realm of Darkness. If I start thinking of her, maybe our hearts can communicate again!" Mickey explained. Mickey closed his eyes, emptied his thoughts, and began to think of her. Images of the warrior flashed through his mind: her short blue hair, her protective blue armor.

* * *

_"Aqua, are you there?" Mickey asked. Mickey could only see pure darkness._

_"Mickey, is that you?" Aqua replied. He heard her voice, yet she was nowhere to be found._

_"Yes Aqua. Where are you?" Mickey inquired._

_"I.. I'm not sure. It's a beach with a moon above the water. This place is always dark…" Aqua said._

_"Is there anything else?" Mickey asked. Surely she could offer more information._

_"Well, it feels like there's less darkness here than in other places. As if… as if it's near the edge of this realm" Aqua said._

_"Alright, Aqua. I'll try to find a way there. Maybe Sora could help" Mickey said. Aqua was shocked at what she heard. Sora was with Mickey?_

_"Sora? Sora is with you?" Aqua asked._

_"Yes. Wait-how do you know him?" Mickey asked._

_"I met him once. And soon, I think I'm going to see him again" Aqua replied._

_"Aqua, don't worry. I'll find you" Mickey said._

_"See you then" Aqua told him._

_

* * *

_

Mickey opened his eyes, and turned to Sora.

"She's at a beach with a moon at the end" Mickey said. Sora exchanged glances with Riku.

"It couldn't be" Riku said.

"I think it is" Sora argued. After they had defeated Xemnas, Sora and Riku ended up in a place similar to the one that Aqua described. He looked at Mickey.

"Give me the stone" Sora said. He shut his eyes, and imagined the dark coastline. The stone glowed brightly, and a wide portal of light appeared. The group looked in awe at it.

Merlin looked at the group, realizing that they were going to leave soon.

"Remember, that stone has a limited supply of energy. The minute you find who you're looking for, you should get back here!" Merlin reminded them. They nodded, and the three Keyblade wielders vanished in the light.

* * *

The waves crashed back and forth against the sand. Aqua and Ansem sat on the bleak beach, gazing out at the moon in the distance. Suddenly, a wall of glowing light appeared in front of the pair. Aqua stood up, and Ansem put on his hood. The light faded away, revealing Sora, Mickey, and Riku. Aqua smiled at the sight of her old friend.

"Mickey!" Aqua said happily. Mickey ran over and hugged her.

"Aqua, thank goodness you're alright!" he exclaimed. The two let go of each other. Aqua looked up, and saw Riku and Sora walk towards her. Sora was a bit shorter than her, while Riku was taller than her. Riku couldn't help but stare at the woman. She looked as if she were their age rather than an adult. How could she be some great Keyblade Master?

"Sora, Riku, it's nice to see you again" Aqua stated. Riku and Sora looked at her in confusion.

"Huh? When did we meet?" Sora asked. Aqua giggled.

"You two were only four or five years old when I met you. I didn't think you'd remember" Aqua explained. Mickey approached the man in the black coat.

"And who might you be?" Mickey asked suspiciously. The figure chuckled, and removed his hood. Mickey and the others gaped in shock.

"I didn't think that I'd have the chance to speak with you again, dear King" Ansem said.

"Ansem! You're alive!" Mickey exclaimed. Riku didn't understand it.

"Wait, wasn't he caught in the explosion of his machine?" Riku asked. At the World that Never Was, Ansem tried to use a machine to encode Kingdom Hearts. His machine backfired, however, and it exploded in a burst of light, taking him with it. Ansem nodded, agreeing that Riku was correct.

"Yes, but I did say that anything could happen" Ansem responded. Sora examined the stone, and saw that it was slowly getting dimmer.

"Uh oh, we have to hurry! We can talk back in Radiant Garden!" Sora said. Ansem's expression grew incredibly happy.

"Radiant Garden? Finally, I can return to my beautiful world" Ansem said. Sora became uncertain about Ansem's reaction when he'd see the town. The world's beauty had severely diminished, despite efforts by the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee to bring it back. Mickey was thinking the same thing, and the two exchanged worried glances.

Sora stared at the sea, and closed his eyes. The stone glowed again, and a huge portal of light appeared. Sora walked into it, and the others followed him.


	6. Chapter 6: Revelations

**Kingdom Hearts: Reconnection of Souls**

**Chapter 6: Revelations**

**Disclaimer: All copyrights belong to Square Enix and Disney**

A wide rectangle of light appeared in Merlin's house. The wizard saw Sora, Riku, and Mickey enter the room.

"Welcome back, lads" Merlin said. He noticed that the portal was still open, and looked in shock as he saw Ansem the Wise enter the room.

"Ansem the Wise! You've returned!" Merlin said in surprise.

"Merlin, is that you?" Ansem asked. The two old friends approached each other.

"You two knew each other?" Sora asked.

"Why yes. Ansem often sought my knowledge and magic" Merlin said. Suddenly, Aqua stepped out of the portal of light. Sora, Riku, and Mickey looked at her in astonishment. Instead of having the appearance of a teenage girl, she looked older, like an adult. Her body was a bit more developed, and she had grown a bit taller. Yet she was still shorter than Riku.

"Ah, Aqua, good to see you again!" Merlin greeted.

"Likewise, Merlin" Aqua replied. Riku scratched his head.

"You know her, too?" Riku asked.

"Yes, she traveled here before" Merlin explained.

The wizard turned to the rest of them.

"I'm going into town, guys. Feel free to look around" Merlin said. He exited the house. Sora looked at Aqua in confusion.

"What happened to you?" Sora asked. Aqua looked at him strangely, and he held up a mirror. She looked into it, and nearly dropped it. She no longer looked like a teenager. She was now a young adult. Ansem stepped up to the heroes.

"Darkness hides age. While she was in the Realm of Darkness, she retained the image of a girl. That portal of light that brought her back here took away the disguise and revealed her true appearance" Ansem explained. He sat down at a table, and motioned towards the others.

"Come, we have much to discuss" Ansem said. They nodded, and sat with him at the table.

"Dear King, I'm sure that there's a reason as to why you've sought out Aqua?" Ansem asked.

"Well, Ansem, the only reason I had was to make sure she was alright. I would have looked for her harder a few years ago, but I was too concerned with the safety of the worlds" Mickey said. Ansem looked at him in confusion. Could his quest already be over?

"So, this was your only mission?" Ansem asked. Mickey shook his head.

"Not exactly. A few months ago, my friend Jiminy found a message in his journal: _we must return to free them from their torment_. After a long investigation of the journal, I discovered that there were several people who were at one point in need of saving: Roxas, Axel, Xion, Terra, Aqua, and Ven" Mickey began to explain.

"I resolved to ensure that these six people were safe. Roxas is safe because he's part of Sora. Xion is safe because she's part of Sora as well" Mickey continued explaining.

"Who's Xion?" Sora asked.

"Yeah, I don't remember her" Riku added. Mickey looked at the two, realizing that they truly didn't know.

"She was a replica of Sora's memories. You once mentioned meeting her, Riku. However, she was absorbed by Roxas, and thus, all our memories of her disappeared. When I was in Jiminy's journal, these memories came back" Mickey told them. Riku tried remembering.

"Yeah, now I remember" Riku muttered.

* * *

_It was daytime on Destiny Islands, and the waves slowly crashed against the shore. Riku held a girl in a black coat with hair as dark as the cloak itself. The girl was asleep, but opened her eyes. She looked at the man holding her. He was wearing a blindfold and a coat just like hers._

"_Are you…" she began to say._

_"Riku, Sora's friend" Riku answered. Xion's eyes lit up._

"_Sora? You know Sora?" Xion asked. Riku nodded._

_"Yeah" he replied. He grabbed her hand, and helped her stand up._

"_Thank you. You saved me, but I don't know why…you did" Xion stated. Riku couldn't help but notice how attractive she was. Her face was pretty, and had deep blue eyes._

"_I guess… I just felt like it" Riku said. But he knew that wasn't the only reason. He knew who she was – she was a replica of Sora's memories. In a sense, she was Sora. Eventually, she'd have to become part of him. Yet despite all of that, he was starting to fall for her.

* * *

_

Riku snapped out of the flashback, and noticed that the others were staring at him.

"You alright?" Mickey asked. He nodded.

"Yeah, please continue" Riku responded.

"We now know that Axel is safe because he has become a Somebody again, and Aqua is alright because she's here with us. But we still need to find Terra and Ven" Mickey finished explaining. He turned to Aqua.

"Aqua, do you know where they are?" Mickey asked. Aqua sighed.

"I know where Ven is. He's at Castle Oblivion, the world I created from the Land of Departure" Aqua explained. The others looked at her in shock.

"YOU created Castle Oblivion?!" they said in surprise. Aqua looked at them.

"I didn't realize you knew what it was" Aqua admitted.

"In any case, Ven is safe. After our fight with Master Xehanort, Ven was in a coma. I brought him to the Land of Departure. To my disappointment, the land had been destroyed by darkness, and even my former master, Master Eraqus, was nowhere to be found" Aqua began to say sadly. She regained her composure.

"But Ven is safe. He's well hidden within the castle. However, Terra is another story. I'm going to have to explain it" Aqua said. The others listened intently.

"After I left Ven at Castle Oblivion, I began to seek out Terra. We never knew what became of him after the battle with Master Xehanort. But I found him in Radiant Garden…" Aqua began to explain.

* * *

_Aqua walked around Radiant Garden. She strongly felt Terra's presence, she knew he was there. Suddenly, she spotted a figure standing in a vacant area. His hair was silver, while his eyes were yellow. His tan and muscular figure could attract any girl's attention. Aqua recognized the face as Terra's, and she ran up to him._

"_Terra!" Aqua said joyfully. The man was staring at the sky, and he looked at her. He stretched his arm toward Aqua, and she backed away. He stepped forward, and grabbed her throat. Terra lifted her off the ground, choking her._

"_Why are you here?" Terra asked. Aqua gasped for air._

"_I came here… to find you, Terra!" Aqua responded._

"_Terra…what?" Terra asked. Suddenly, Terra dropped her. He began to groan in pain, and clutched his head with his hand. He grabbed his face with both his hands._

"_Those who cling to the light are weak" Terra said. He released his hands from his face, and smiled. Aqua looked at him in surprise._

"_Prepare to feel the power of darkness!" Terra yelled as he withdrew a Keyblade. Yet, something wasn't right. Instead of seeing one of Terra's weapons, Aqua saw that Terra was holding Master Xehanort's Keyblade. Terra swung the Keyblade at Aqua, and she flipped backwards, avoiding the strike that hit the ground. Aqua stood up, and looked at the man before her._

"_My name is Master Aqua" Aqua declared as she summoned her Keyblade. Whoever this man was, he didn't act like Terra. Yet there was something familiar about him, something that told Aqua that the Terra she knew was somewhere inside this person._

"_And you will release my friend's heart!" Aqua exclaimed. Terra smiled, and summoned a huge circle of dark energy. It surrounded the two, forcing them to fight. Terra disappeared into the ground, in a black circle. A similar black circle in the ground appeared behind Aqua. She held up her Keyblade towards it in a defensive stance, and saw Terra jump out of it, swinging his Keyblade several times. Aqua managed to block every attack, yet her guard was weakening. Terra pointed his Keyblade at Aqua, and fired a barrage of dark projectiles. Aqua cast a reflect spell, and the shots were deflected back at Terra, some of them hitting him. With Terra momentarily stunned, Aqua charged at him, and slashed her Keyblade at him. Just in time, Terra blocked it with his Keyblade, and kicked her away. Aqua quickly recovered, and stood up. Terra emitted an aura of darkness, and charged at Aqua. She rolled out of the way, and he charged at her again. She tried to block him with her Keyblade, but she was knocked away. He charged at her again, but she cast a spell, filling the ground near her with circles of light. Terra touched one of the circles, and it exploded, knocking him down. Terra stood up, and looked at Aqua._

"_Not bad, but you can't rival my power!" Terra screamed._

_Darkness began to emit from his body, and his Keyblade formed into a strange shape behind him. It morphed into a black creature with sinister yellow eyes. The creature didn't have any legs, but had two arms with huge claws. It also had long horns that grew thinner at their ends. This creature dived into the ground. Aqua looked beneath her to see a pool of darkness. The creature ascended out of the pool, and grabbed Aqua. Aqua managed to get an arm free, and slashed the creature's head with her Keyblade. It cried in pain, and went behind Terra. The creature began to gather blue light in its hands. It hurled its hands, and the blue light expanded into small pillars that sped toward Aqua. She rolled out of the way, and aimed her Keyblade at the monster._

"_Take this!" Aqua yelled._

_Aqua blasted dozens of fireballs towards Terra. His creature went in front of him, attempting to protect him from the attack. The balls exploded, severely hurting the creature. It fell to the ground, and suddenly became a Keyblade again. Terra summoned the Keyblade in his hand. Aqua ran towards Terra, and slashed her Keyblade. He blocked the attack, and the two engaged in a deadlock, with neither one gaining an advantage. The two stared at each other, with gazes of fury. Finally, Aqua drew back her Keyblade. Terra saw this as an opening, and vertically swung his Keyblade at her. She sidestepped the attack, and struck his shoulder with her Keyblade._

_Terra grunted in pain, and jumped away, still facing her. He held his shoulder, feeling the wound's pain. Suddenly, he began to glow with yellow light, and looked at his body in confusion. _

"_What are you doing?!" Terra said to himself._

_Terra extended his arms and legs, and stayed that way as if he were frozen. Aqua looked at him with sympathy, worrying about her friend._

"_Terra, why are you acting like this?" Aqua asked._

_Terra looked at his right arm, the one holding his Keyblade. He slowly began to move his arm, and brought it in front of him._

"_No, I won't let you have my heart!" Terra exclaimed. He pointed the sharp end of his Keyblade at his own chest, and stabbed it, creating a purple flash._

"_Terra!" Aqua screamed out of fear. Terra dropped his Keyblade, and it fell to the ground. The weapon vanished in a light that was tinted purple and black. The guardian appeared behind Terra again, looking weaker than before. It raised its head, and groaned in pain. Purple and black ash began to fall from the creature, and the ashes began to form a huge portal of darkness in the ground. The creature finally dissolved into it, and Terra began to tilt towards it. Aqua sprinted towards him, as he fell on the portal. He slowly began to sink into it. Aqua jumped into it, trying to reach his hand._

_Suddenly, Aqua and her unconscious friend were surrounded by total darkness. As they continued to fall, Aqua took out her Keyblade, and aimed it at the portal above. She shot a beam of light into it, temporarily creating a portal of light. She touched the piece of armor on her body, and transformed into her fully armored form. Her Keyblade transformed into a flying vehicle, and she boosted towards Terra._

"_Hold on!" Aqua cried out. She accelerated the ship even more, and grabbed Terra by his hand. She quickly lifted him on top of her, and flew towards the portal of light. However, the ship couldn't carry both of them, and was slowly starting to descend again._

"_Only one of us can make it out of here" Aqua said to herself. A sphere of light surrounded the ship, and Aqua was out of her armor. Now, her armor was holding Terra. She placed her gray and blue Keyblade into Terra's hand._

"_Hold this" Aqua demanded. She used magic to surround Terra and her armor with a bright blue aura._

"_Go!" Aqua yelled. She blasted them towards the portal of light, and they were quickly approaching it. Aqua smiled, knowing that Terra was safe. Yet she was worried about Ven._

"_Ven, I'll find a way back. Then, I'll protect you again" Aqua promised. She closed her eyes, and fell into the abyss of darkness.

* * *

_

The group looked at Aqua with complete admiration of the girl's strength.

"That's… so sad" Sora said. Aqua smiled.

"Yes, but now that I'm back, I can make sure Ven is alright, and I can search for Terra" Aqua said. Ansem stroked his beard, pondering something.

"Aqua, what did you say Terra looked like when you fought him?" Ansem asked.

"Before that fight, he had brown hair, a muscular body, and gorgeous blue eyes" Aqua said.

"Gorgeous blue eyes? Was he your boyfriend?" Riku teased. Aqua blushed slightly, and Mickey narrowed his eyes at Riku.

"Riku, don't make fun of Aqua! She's a true Keyblade Master and deserves your respect!" Mickey stated.

"Sorry, Mickey. I didn't mean any offense, Aqua" Riku said. Aqua regained her composure.

"It's fine. Anyway, when I fought Terra, he still had the same body shape and the same face. But his skin was tan, his hair was silver, and his eyes were yellow" Aqua said.

"It couldn't be" Ansem muttered to himself. He looked at Aqua.

"Do you have a picture of him?" Ansem asked.

"I think so" Aqua said. She took a photograph out of her pocket, and showed it to Ansem.

"We took the picture before my Master Qualification Exam" Aqua said. The photograph showed Terra, Aqua, and Ven, standing in a group. The three were smiling and looked happy. Ansem looked at Terra's face, and sighed.

"Aqua, I think I know what became of your friend" Ansem said. Aqua looked at him curiously.

"You do?" she asked.

"Terra has the same face as my apprentice, Xehanort. He was an evil man, Aqua. As a Heartless he tried to have all the worlds swallowed in darkness in order to gain Kingdom Hearts, and as a Nobody, he tried to use Kingdom Hearts to remake the universe" Ansem explained. Aqua shook her head in denial.

"No, you're wrong! That can't be true!" she exclaimed.

"I'm telling the truth! One day, my apprentices and I found a man with silver hair, a muscular body, and yellow eyes. He didn't have any memories, and we found a blue suit of armor and a Keyblade next to him" Ansem told her. Aqua was visibly shaken. She couldn't believe it. There must be some other explanation.

"But Terra would never become that. Even if he did lose his memories, he would still be a good person" Aqua said. Ansem lowered his head in sorrow.

"I'm sorry Aqua. I wish it weren't true" Ansem admitted. He looked at Sora.

"But there are still things to discuss" Ansem added. Sora turned to him.

"Sora, do you remember who Ven was?" Ansem asked him. The others looked at him in confusion.

"Sora never met him" Riku said. Ansem shook his head.

"I beg to differ. Look deep within your heart, Sora" Ansem said. Sora nodded, and shut his eyes.

* * *

_Sora opened his eyes, and was suddenly on a huge pillar, the same one that had been in his dream the other night. He noticed a figure with blonde hair, his back facing Sora. Sora approached the boy._

"_Who are you?" Sora asked. The boy turned, and smiled. Sora was surprised to see Roxas, except he was wearing an outfit he'd never seen before._

"_Roxas!" Sora said. The boy laughed and shook his head._

"_Actually, I'm not Roxas. My name's Ven" he said. Sora looked at him in confusion._

"_But, he looks just like you!" Sora said. Suddenly, a bright light flashed, blinding both of them.

* * *

_

Sora opened his eyes, and saw that he was back in Merlin's house with the others. They were staring at him.

"I met him" Sora said. Ansem nodded.

"Then I'm sure you have some questions" Ansem said. The scientist looked at the others.

"When Riku captured Roxas, Namine looked through the memories of his heart so we could rearrange them and make him believe he was another boy. To our surprise, we found memories that belonged to a boy named Ven. The memories told us everything Ven knew about Aqua, Terra, and Master Xehanort. It also told us something interesting. When he first became a Keyblade apprentice, Ven's heart was too weak. So, he formed a bond with Sora's heart, and with some borrowed strength, he was able to wield the Keyblade" Ansem began to explain. The others were listening intently, waiting for him to continue.

"Ven was originally the apprentice of Master Xehanort. However, his master only wanted his darkness, so he removed all of his darkness and used it to create Vanitas. Because Ven's heart borrowed strength from Sora, Vanitas looked like Sora, except had the appearance of a teenager rather than a little boy. Later, Ven became an apprentice of Master Eraqus, and was sent on a mission with Terra, Aqua, and Ven to find Master Xehanort and Vanitas. They were the lost two, the two who had disappeared and give in to darkness. When they confronted them, Ven fought against Vanitas, and Vanitas merged with him. Within their heart, Ven defeated Vanitas" Ansem kept explaining. He turned to Sora.

"However, Ven's heart left his body, and found its way to you, Sora. It took refuge in your body and laid dormant, until you became a Heartless. It was released again, and merged with Roxas. This is why he looked like Ven and why he seemed to have emotions. When Roxas merged with you, so did Ven's heart" Ansem finished explaining. Sora felt his chest.

"So Ven… is inside of me?" Sora asked. Ansem nodded.

"Sora, somewhere inside of you are memories of all the people who need your help. Xion, Ventus, and Terra. You are the key that connects them all, and that is why you can save them" Ansem explained. Riku looked at Ansem with confusion.

"Wait, how do any of us remember Xion? I thought that our memories were erased when she became part of Roxas" Riku said.

"Most of us forgot, but Namine remembered, and she told me who Xion. I remembered her, and asked Namine to put Xion's memories within Sora. She said that Xion's memories would become part of Sora when Roxas merged with him" Ansem said.

"But why does Xion need saving if she's part of Sora? That's what I don't understand" Mickey said.

"Xion was not intended to be absorbed. She isn't a Nobody, and even though she's a replica, she should be a normal person. As long as she's inside of Sora, she will only suffer" Ansem said.

"So how do we save her?" Sora asked.

"I'm not sure. But first, we must find Ven and Terra" Ansem said.

"I know where Ven is. We should go to him first" Aqua said.

"I don't think I'm going with you" Ansem said. The others looked at him.

"I've told you all the information that you need. I know little combat, and I'd prefer to stay here, with my people" Ansem explained. Mickey smiled.

"Don't worry, Ansem, we understand" Mickey assured him. The others nodded as well. Ansem smiled in gratitude.

"Thank you for understanding. I'll wait for Merlin" Ansem said.

They exited Merlin's house, while Ansem waited for the wizard to return.


	7. Chapter 7: Plots and Plans

**Kingdom Hearts: Reconnection of Souls**

**Chapter 7: Plots and Plans**

**Disclaimer: All copyrights belong to Square Enix and Disney**

The skies of Radiant Garden were just that – radiant. The sun beautifully illuminated the town, lifting the hopes of its denizens. At the top of Ansem's castle, a lone figure looked over the town. The person's face was hidden by a black hood that matched his dark coat. He laughed at bright sun.

"The weather can be _so_ misleading…" the man remarked. He revealed his face – tan skin with long silver hair. A portal appeared behind him, and another man in a hooded coat approached him.

"Hello, Xehanort," the figure greeted. Xehanort gestured his hands towards his companion.

"Come here, Braig," Xehanort kindly commanded. The pair walked towards the edge of the floor. Braig removed his hood for a better look, and stared at the ground in astonishment. Thousands of Heartless and Nobodies were gathered at the gates of the castle. The minions ranged from gigantic darksides and twilight thorns to relatively insignificant shadows and creepers.

"Whoa," Braig softly said. In one form or another, Braig had worked with Xehanort for years. They had achieved incredible accomplishments. But such an army would intimidate any foe.

"It's quite a military, isn't it?" Xehanort asked. Braig grinned and turned to his friend.

"So what's next?" Braig asked. The other man slowly walked back towards the castle.

"Our army has both Heartless and Nobodies. Heartless were the second common threat to the worlds. Nobodies were the third. What we need is the first…" Xehanort began to say. Braig narrowed his eyebrow in confusion. There was a threat before the Heartless? Then, the man's eyes lit up, realizing what Xehanort meant.

"You mean the Unversed," Braig affirmatively stated. Xehanort smiled at him.

"So you do remember," Xehanort said. He was pleased that Braig retained all of his memories as well.

"And in order to use the Unversed, we need their master, Vanitas," Xehanort explained. Braig chuckled, and his associate harshly glared at him.

"What's so funny?" Xehanort asked. Braig shook his head in disappointment.

"I guess you never realized it at the final battle. Vanitas took over Ven, but he was defeated by Aqua. He's not coming back anytime soon," Braig informed him. Xehanort nodded.

"I'm aware of that. But you don't know the full story, nor do you understand why I intended to have Roxas in the organization," Xehanort said. Braig and Xehanort once had Nobodies, who were respectively named Xigbar and Xemnas. These two Nobodies were an important part of Organization 13. Braig shrugged.

"Okay, you got me there. Why was he so important?" Braig asked. Xehanort wasn't surprised. Braig wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. However, he was much more than a simple tool.

"When I became a Nobody, I regained my former memories from being Master Xehanort. I spent years trying to find out where Vanitas was. Eventually, I found a way to contact him…" Xehanort started to explain.

* * *

_Ansem's computer lab looked like a very high-tech room. Electric wires and circuits ran across the floor and ceiling. The room's camera scanned back and forth. Suddenly, it spotted an unknown figure. Before it could start an alarm, the figure blasted it with a flash of light. Xemnas entered a CD and began to type on the computer. The screen changed to a window. The Nobody typed in ANOTHER, and typed in other words disguised as x's. The words SYSTEM START appeared on the screen. Xemnas stepped out of the room, and rode an elevator to the bottom floor. The figure stepped on a bright pad. It flashed, and a section of the floor in front of the mysterious person opened. The Superior entered the opening, and the floor above him closed shut. He began to descend down a long spiral staircase, as a lengthy dialogue ran through his head:_

"_Master Ansem, regarding the experiment I presented the other day… with your permission I'd like to proceed," Xehanort's voice said._

"_I forbid it! Forget this talk of doors and the hearts of all worlds. That place must not be defiled," Ansem's voice commanded._

"_But, Master Ansem, I've been thinking…" Xehanort's voice began to say._

"_Xehanort, those thoughts are best left forgotten," Ansem's voice stated._

_Anger towards his former master filled Xemnas. In his opinion, Ansem was a mere fool who could never understand the magnitude of the power of Kingdom Hearts. Yet to Xemnas it didn't matter. Ansem was long gone, and even if he appeared again, he would hardly be a threat. Finally, the Nobody arrived at the bottom of the staircase. Two doors slid open, inviting the guest inside. Xemnas strolled down a long hallway with cell doors on each side. He arrived at another door, and it opened for him as well. The man stepped inside, and the doors closed behind him. The whole room was patterned with Nobody symbols. A chair was in the middle, and chains stretched out to other parts of the room. Xemnas sat on the throne, and the chains brightly lit up. He looked at two objects in front of him: a blue Keyblade and a suit of blue armor. Both belonged to Aqua._

"_It's been a long time…my friend," Xemnas said to the armor with pure sarcasm. He began to laugh hysterically, and removed his hood. He resembled a former Keyblade warrior – Terra._

"_In reality, however, I'm not Terra. Not in the least," Xemnas stated. Suddenly, the entire room turned black, except for the white chains. A transparent figure appeared. He had black hair, a bodysuit with black and red colors, and a Keyblade._

"_How are you, Vanitas?" Xemnas asked._

"_Not well. I hate being stuck inside of Sora," Vanitas replied._

"_And how is that my fault?" Xemnas inquired. Vanitas glared at the man._

"_Because, Xehanort, you promised me that you would find Ven's heart, and thus, find me. You found the heart inside of another boy – Roxas. So why didn't you remove me from his heart?!" Vanitas angrily questioned. Xemnas remained calm. He didn't want to argue with the apprentice of his past incarnation, Master Xehanort._

"_I considered it, but ultimately, I ruled it out. Removing you from Ven's heart would have made Roxas unstable. He could have turned insane or lost his ability to wield the Keyblade. If I didn't have the Keyblade, I wouldn't be this close to achieving Kingdom Hearts," Xemnas explained. Vanitas summoned his own Keyblade._

"_Have you forgotten that I have a Keyblade? I could have helped you instead," Vanitas told him. Xemnas shook his head._

"_Your Keyblade is made of darkness. Instead of releasing hearts from the Heartless, it would have further corrupted them with darkness, completely destroying the majority of them. Most hearts cannot handle darkness," Xemnas said._

"_Your excuses are meaningless! All that matters now is that I'm stuck in Sora's body!" Vanitas angrily exclaimed. Xemnas chuckled._

"_Yes, he seems to bear quite a resemblance to you," Xemnas remarked. Vanitas couldn't believe it. Instead of figuring a way to help him out, Xemnas was making useless observations._

"_I think you're missing the point. You're a shadow of your former self, master. Bring me back and I'll help you achieve your true potential!" Vanitas promised._

"_I tried Vanitas. That's why I reprogrammed Xion to take over Roxas. Once he was absorbed, I would have freed your darkness from their heart. Only at that point did we have most of the needed hearts for completing Kingdom Hearts. That's why I felt you could be brought back then and only then," Xemnas explained. Vanitas sighed._

"_Just find Sora and rip me from his heart! You'll be making a grave mistake if you don't!" Vanitas warned him. Xemnas smiled evilly._

"_Patience, my apprentice. You will be back soon enough," Xemnas told him. Vanitas disappeared, and the room returned to normal._

_

* * *

_

Braig stared at Xehanort in shock. For the past decade, Braig had assumed that Vanitas no longer existed.

"So, right now he's inside of Sora?" Braig asked. Xehanort nodded.

"I've already figured out a way to bring him back," Xehanort informed his friend. Braig smiled mischievously.

"So it's checkmate?" Braig asked. Xehanort shook his head.

"Not quite. Aqua has returned," Xehanort informed him. Braig's jaw dropped.

"Aqua? The one who beat me to a pulp?!" Braig asked in shock. Xehanort turned to him with an emotionless expression.

"I thought you said you put up a decent fight?" Xehanort asked. Braig shrugged.

"Alright, so I lied," he admitted. Xehanort ignored his fib.

"She defeated me as well. Even though I had Terra's body, I still lost to her. After I lost, Terra locked his heart, which sealed away my memories. Nevertheless, my personality was dominant in the Xehanort who was Ansem's apprentice," Xehanort explained. The Keyblade wielder stepped toward the edge of the castle. He stared at the army with doubt.

"Even at this point, our army may not be enough. It's barely bigger than Maleficent's army, and the heroes easily defeated hers. So, we'll need a few diversions…" Xehanort stated. The man suddenly had an idea. A malevolent plan perfect for distracting the Keyblade wielders. He turned to Braig.

"Send these heroes on a false trail. Let them travel across the worlds, searching for their friends. While they embark on their adventure, I'll increase our army's size tenfold," Xehanort told Braig. The scarred man nodded, and vanished in a corridor of darkness. Xehanort raised his hands, and huge columns of rock blocked the path to the castle, closing it off from the town.

* * *

The town square was peaceful. Sora, Riku, Aqua, and Mickey stood outside of Merlin's house.

"So, Aqua, what should we do first?" Mickey asked.

"We're going to find Ventus. Then, we'll look for Terra," Aqua said. Sora held his stomach.

"Uh, could we get something to eat first? I'm starving" Sora said. Aqua nodded.

"Alright, we'll do that first," Aqua agreed. The group began to walk away. Suddenly, Aqua felt a hand on her shoulder. She stopped walking while the rest of the group continued.

"Excuse me, do I know you?" a voice asked. Aqua turned around and stared in shock. In front of her stood a man with spiky black hair. He looked fairly strong. Aqua raised her eyes in surprise.

"Zack Fair?" she asked. Zack smiled.

"Aqua. Wow, you look better than ever," Zack remarked. Aqua smiled.

"Yeah, you too," Aqua said. The two last saw each other twelve years ago.

"So, I finally became a hero!" Zack informed her.

"That's great!" Aqua exclaimed. Zack put his arm around her shoulder.

"So, about that date?" Zack asked. Aqua blushed nervously.

"I told you I couldn't make that promise," Aqua said. Zack groaned. Years ago, Aqua saved Olympus Coliseum, Zack's home. In return, Zack promised to take her on a date.

"Come on. Don't even think of it as a date. It'll just be a chance to catch up," Zack argued. Aqua was still unsure. She still had to make sure Ven and Terra were alright. How much could one date do though?

"Fine. We'll go out tonight," Aqua stated. Zack grinned.

"Awesome. I know a great restaurant in town. I'll pick you up at seven," Zack told her. He began to walk away, and Aqua looked at him in confusion.

"Wait, you don't know where I'll be!" Aqua called out.

"Don't worry about it, I'll find you," Zack replied. Aqua wasn't sure how she'd explain this to the others. But could she have feelings for Zack? Or was Terra the only one she wanted to be with? Aqua looked at the bright sky above her.

"Hold on, Terra. I'll find you soon," Aqua promised.

* * *

Disney Castle was truly safe from darkness. Its cornerstone of light repelled nearly any form of darkness from the castle. Donald and Goofy stood in the hall of the cornerstone with confusion. At the other side of the room was a portal of darkness.

"Ain't that the same portal we found a year ago?" Goofy asked. Donald nodded.

"Yeah, I wonder why it's here again," Donald said. Donald approached the portal, but Goofy held him back.

"You don't wanna go in there?! Remember what happened last time?" Goofy asked. Donald tried to remember, and then it hit him.

* * *

_Sora, Donald, and Goofy stood in front of a dark portal. The portal was on the wall behind the cornerstone of light. The trio entered it, and entered a new landscape, filled with rocky structures. While Donald and Goofy continued to admire the rocky formations, Sora stared at a swirl of dust in front of him. The amount of dust continued to build, and it faded away, revealing an armored figure kneeling on the ground. His armor was mostly gold and red, and he wore a cape that flapped in the wind. The figure was holding a Keyblade that was stabbed into the ground. The armor was none other than Terra's._

"_Aqua…Ven…" the figure thought to himself. It tried to speak, but could only emit ominous and strange sounds. Out of caution, the trio withdrew their weapons. The figure noticed Sora's Keyblade, the Kingdom Key._

"_Keyblade…who are you?" the figure thought. Again, it was only a strange sound._

"_I can feel it…we have met before…but when…" the figure started to think. Then, he realized that he mistook Sora for somebody else._

"_No…it isn't you…it isn't you that I've chosen," the stranger said in his head._

"_Why isn't it him?" the figure asked. Suddenly, he realized something. Sora's hair style looked very familiar. Then, he understood that he had the same hairstyle as Vanitas. He seemed about the same size as him as well. Did Xehanort's original plan fail and did he take over Vanitas instead? Could he be Xehanort in disguise?_

"_Xe…ha…nort…is that you?" the figure wondered. The boy could very well be Xehanort in disguise. After years of anguish, this lingering sentiment wasn't going to miss a chance for revenge._

"_Xeha…nort…XEHANORT!" the figure angrily yelled in his head. He stood up, and grabbed his Keyblade. The figure pulled it out of the ground, and faced Sora. He jumped into the air, and dashed at Sora with his Keyblade pointing towards the boy. Sora blocked it, nearly losing his guard. The armor charged at Sora again, and the boy dodged the attack. The enigmatic soldier flew towards Sora again, yet Sora evaded it once more. Enraged, the armor whipped his Keyblade around himself. Sora glided away, and stayed at a safe distance. The figure landed on the ground, and Sora dashed at him. The boy swung his Keyblade, but the armored man blocked the attack with his own weapon, and struck the Keyblade out of his hand. He raised his Gaia Bane Keyblade, preparing to attack Sora._

"_Thunder!" Donald screamed. At that moment, a bolt of lightning struck the armor, and it turned towards Donald. Sora's Keyblade reappeared in his hand, and he began to strike the soldier. After three hits, the soldier blocked Sora's combo, and kicked the boy away._

"_Sora!" Goofy cried out as he ran towards his friend. Goofy gave Sora potion, and the two saw the armored fighter dash towards Donald._

"_Take this!" the duck yelled. He blasted the enemy with a blizzard spell. His legs were frozen solid, but a dark aura surrounded the figure, and the ice melted away._

"_Uh oh," Donald muttered. He began to back away, and the soldier dashed at him. He struck Donald with his Keyblade, knocking him to the ground._

"_Donald!" Sora yelled. The soldier turned towards the boy, and suddenly vanished. Sora looked around in shock._

"_Where'd he go?" Goofy asked. Just then, the armored man appeared out of nowhere, and hit Goofy with his Keyblade. Sora looked at his fallen friend._

"_Goofy!" he yelled. The captain of the royal knights was unconscious. Angrily, Sora faced the armored man._

"_Why are you doing this?!" he screamed. The figure made no response, and attacked Sora again. Sora blocked each attack, but his guard was weakening. Finally, his Keyblade was knocked out of his hand.  
_

"_No more!" Sora declared. He emitted a bright flash of light, and transformed into his Final Form. His clothes were mostly white with some black areas. Sora had two Keyblades now: Oathkeeper and Oblivion. He charged at the soldier, and began to relentlessly attack him with combos. The soldier blocked every attack with his massive Keyblade, impressed by Sora's strength._

"_Such power" the figure thought to himself. The sentiment blocked one of Sora's attacks, and as a counter, he slammed his Keyblade into the ground, creating a shockwave that knocked Sora away. Sora hit the ground next to Donald with a thud, and the soldier threw Goofy at him. Sora caught his friend, and furiously glared at the mysterious enemy. The soldier jumped into the sky, and his Keyblade transformed into a cannon. It began to spin, and blasted a huge sphere of energy at Sora. Sora used a reflect spell, but the sphere was still pressing against the reflect shield. Sora began to sweat as he used all of his energy to maintain the shield. Unexpectedly, the huge ball of energy exploded, breaking Sora's shield. Sora fell back, and struggled to stand up. The soldier slowly walked towards the weakened boy. Sora raised his Keyblade, and used a cure spell to heal himself and his friends. The trio stood up, and the soldier looked at them in confusion._

"_Xehanort never cared for others" the armored figure thought. He stared at Sora in understanding. He had never really sensed Xehanort. Instead, he sensed Ventus._

_"I see. Your strength is…what I sensed in you is…" the figure said in his head. He dug the Keyblade into the ground, and resumed his kneeling position. Sora and his allies stared at him with uncertainty._

"_Sora, let's go back. We still have to deal with the Organization" Donald reminded him. Sora continued to stare at the man._

"_Who are you?" Sora asked._

"_I am…his memories…his rage…" the figure thought. Yet Sora only heard the strange sounds. He saw a portal appear next to him, and he, Donald, and Goofy entered the portal to leave the strange place._

_

* * *

_

Donald and Goofy stared at the portal, still unsure what to do.

"Well, I don't want to fight that guy again," Donald admitted with fear.

"Maybe it'll just go away eventually. Otherwise, we'll send a message to the King," Goofy suggested. Donald nodded in agreement, and the two walked away.


	8. Chapter 8: The New Apprentice

**Kingdom Hearts: Reconnection of Souls**

**Chapter 8: The New Apprentice**

The sun dimly lit a barren landscape. The region was filled with rocky formations and seemed completely devoid of life. In the center of a plateau, a lone figure kneeled against ground. It was a large suit of armor, decorated with yellow and crimson colors. Its cape lightly flapped with the wind. The armor raised its head, noticing a bright ball of light. The light approached it, and once it touched it, the armor was covered in a bright light. The armor's appearance returned to normal. It placed a hand over its chest.

"_Finally…I have my heart…_" the being thought to itself. The armor stood up, and gazed into the distance.

* * *

Under a red horizon, the waves slowly crashed against the shore. Kairi stood at the edge of the land, staring out into the ocean.

"Hey, Kairi!" a voice called out. The girl turned to see Tidus run up to her.

"Do you wanna play with Wakka and me?" Tidus asked. Kairi shook her head.

"No thanks," Kairi replied. She reversed her position, and continued to look at the sea. For some odd reason, the boy thought that something was amiss.

"Hey, where are Sora and Riku? Don't they usually hang out with you?" he asked. Kairi's eyes widened, unsure of what to say. If she tried to explain what he was actually doing, they'd think that she was insane. When Destiny Islands returned to normal, nobody else remembered that it fell into darkness. All they remembered was that on the night of the storm, Riku and Sora had disappeared.

"Uh…they're really sick," Kairi lied. Tidus scratched his head.

"What do they have?" Tidus asked.

"Hepazuntite," Kairi said. "It's very contagious." She hated lying, partly because she was so bad at it.

"Oh, then I better stay clear of them for a few days," replied Tidus. "See you later!" The boy ran back to Wakka. Suddenly, Kairi became very worried of what might happen. After probably a week, the other kids would begin to grow suspicious about where Sora and Riku really were. Furthermore, how could Kairi explain it to Sora's mom? She sat on the beach, and began to ponder how best to approach the situation. Kairi resolved that she'd have to lie – again. But she'd need a very convincing story. Then, she smiled as she devised a believable story. When people began to ask her about what happened to them, Kairi would explain that Sora and Riku went away on a raft to explore the world outside of the islands.

"What are these things?!" a voice cried out. Kairi snapped around, and widened her eyes in shock. A group of soldier Heartless were attacking Tidus and Wakka. The two were holding them off with their weapons. Kairi was about to panic, but remembered that she had an ace up her sleeve. She held her hand out, and in a flash of light, a flowery Keyblade appeared in her hand. She charged towards the Heartless, who were obviously taking no damage from the ball Tidus and Wakka threw at them.

"I'll deal with them," Kairi said. Slash after slash, the number of Soldiers began to dwindle. Within seconds, Kairi had defeated all of them. She turned to Tidus and Wakka, who were staring in amazement with their jaws dropped. Their expressions suddenly turned excited and happy.

"Kairi, that was incredible! What is that?!" Wakka asked. Kairi smiled in return.

"This is a Keyblade. It's a weapon designed to fight those monsters," Kairi explained.

"Where'd you get it?" Tidus asked. Kairi scratched her head, trying to cover it up.

"Uh…I just found it on this island the other day," Kairi explained. Tidus grabbed it, and Kairi let go of the weapon. The boy started to examine it.

"So, how do you use it?" Tidus asked. Suddenly, the weapon disappeared. In a flash of light, the Destiny Place Keyblade reappeared in Kairi's hand.

"Only I'm able to wield it. For physical attacks, you simply swing it like a sword," Kairi explained. "Magic attacks are a bit more complicated, however." Tidus and Wakka exchanged glances.

"You can use magic, Kairi?" Tidus asked. Kairi rubbed her back.

"Well, actually no," she replied. She glanced at the blade. "But I think the Keyblade gives some magical abilities. Either way, I'll be able to fight those creatures." Suddenly, Kairi considered something. If the Heartless were on the play island, could they be on the mainland as well. She realized that it was very likely. But first, she'd have to seal the keyhole, just as Sora did on his adventures. Kairi tried to think of where it would be. Then she remembered the door in the secret place. That was the same door that Riku unlocked two years ago, which caused the islands to be swallowed by darkness.

Kairi looked at the boys.

"Could both of you check on the mainland to see if there are more creatures?" Kairi asked. "In the event that they've showed up again, try to use a more deadly weapon to fight them, like a sword or axe." Wakka and Tidus quickly ran to their boats. Meanwhile, Kairi tried to move towards the secret place, but before she could even move, a group of Shadows appeared in front of her.

"Out of the way, you ugly bugs!" Kairi yelled. She easily sliced through them, and began running for the secret place. She smirked to herself, surprised that the Heartless were so easy to defeat. As she grew closer to the waterfall, a huge circle of darkness appeared in the ground. She stared at it, and watched in horror as a huge Darkside Heartless rose out of the ground. Her cocky expression immediately turned fearful. The creature slowly threw its fist at her. Kairi ran out of the way, while the monster's hand smashed into the ground. A black vortex was created by the hand, and Shadows crawled out of it. Holding on to her courage, Kairi charged her way through the Shadows, swiftly destroying them with the Keyblade. She began to slash at the hand, yet the creature had no reaction.

"Come on, work!" Kairi told her weapon. The creature lifted its hand off the ground. It held its hands in the air, and they created a huge orb of darkness. At a lethargic pace, the orb approached Kairi. She started to panic, unsure of what she could do. Then, she remembered a spell she had seen Sora use once. Would she be able to use it as well? Whether or not that was the case, Kairi wasn't about to take a chance. With a confident expression, she firmly raised her Keyblade into the air.

"Reflect!" Kairi declared. Nothing happened.

"Reflect!" Kairi yelled again. The word still had no effect, and the orb's edge was only a few feet away. Afraid that her life was going to end, Kairi's expression grew very worried. Nevertheless, she tried to focus, picturing the shield in her mind.

"Reflect!" Kairi screamed. A bright dome covered Kairi, much to her relief. The darkness made contact with the dome, pushing against it. Kairi held her stance, becoming more tired. She realized that the spell must be draining her magic energy. Finally, the orb exploded in a flash of light, pushing Kairi past her limits, The dome vanished, and Kairi was knocked to the ground. She looked up to see the Heartless decomposing into ashes, which faded away as they approached the ground. Kairi smiled and pumped her fist into the air.

"Yes! I did it!" she exclaimed. "Now to get that Keyhole." Kairi silently noted that she should stop talking to herself. She ran into the secret place, and faced the ominous door. She aimed her Keyblade at it, and shot a beam of light. On contact, the light formed the shape of a keyhole. The shape brightly flashed, signifying that it was locked. Kairi smiled to herself, and slowly began to walk away. However, she saw an image on the rocky wall, and stopped. It was the paopu fruit drawing of Sora and her. She rubbed it, realizing how much she missed him. She sadly looked through the cave's hole at the sky above, wondering if Sora missed her as well.

* * *

Sora, Mickey, Riku, and Aqua stood outside of a restaurant with satisfied looks on their faces.

"That breakfast was delicious!" Mickey cheerfully exclaimed. The others nodded, and Aqua turned to Sora. She felt his heart's strength radiating from him. It seemed stronger than any other heart she'd known, even Terra's. It would be a shame if he never achieved his true potential. That possibility gave her an idea.

"Sora, there's something I want to ask you," Aqua said. He curiously raised an eyebrow.

"What is it, Aqua?" he asked.

"Would you like to learn more about the Keyblade and its true potential?" Aqua asked. "I'm a Keyblade Master, and as such, I could train you as my apprentice. You'd become far stronger and wiser." Sora smiled excitedly and nodded. He was universally known as the hero of the Keyblade. Yet there was so much he wanted to learn. Something told him that Aqua could teach him such things.

"That would be great!" Sora exclaimed. "I'd love to be your apprentice." Sora said. Aqua smiled, glad that he accepted the offer. She summoned Eraqus's Keyblade.

"Kneel," Aqua ordered. Sora kneeled to the ground. Riku, meanwhile, looked on with a bit of jealousy. He could use the Keyblade too, but Aqua never gave him the offer. Then again, she didn't seem like the person he wanted for a master. Besides, when he was very young, someone else promised to be his master. Yet that mysterious man never appeared to him again.

Aqua held the Keyblade over Sora's shoulder.

"I, Master Aqua, declare that you, Sora, are an apprentice of the Keyblade," Aqua stated. "You will be under my instruction." Sora remained kneeling for a few more seconds.

"Rise, Sora," Aqua commanded. The boy stood up, and smirked at her. Riku, on the other hand, looked at the woman.

"Why does it have to be so formal?" Riku asked.

"It's the way my old master made me an apprentice," Aqua explained. "I did the initiation that way because it's traditional." Aqua noticed that something didn't seem right about Riku. Immediately, she assumed he was jealous.

"Riku, would you like to be my apprentice as well?" Aqua asked. Riku glanced at the girl, examining her figure. To him, she didn't seem very powerful.

"No thanks," Riku replied. Sora stared at him with confusion.

"Don't you want to learn more about the Keyblade, Riku?" Sora inquired. Riku chuckled.

"I've used this weapon for two years," Riku answered. "I think I know enough from experience." The woman was a bit surprised, but hid it well. She simply thought that Riku would want to learn more about the weapon and its full capabilities.

"Okay, guys, we have to get moving!" Mickey reminded them.

"But, who should we try to help first?" Sora asked.

"I think we should go to Ven," Aqua suggested. The others turned to her. "He's well hidden, but I know where to find him."

"Alright, let's get moving!" Mickey said. "Follow us back to our gummi ship, Aqua." The female raised an eyebrow.

"Gummi ship?" she asked.

"You'll see," Sora told her. The group walked out of the town square.


	9. Chapter 9: Room of Awakening

**Kingdom Hearts: Reconnection of Souls**

**Chapter 9: Room of Awakening**

An abnormally designed castle was surrounded by endless waves of darkness. Castle Oblivion towered over Sora, Aqua, Riku and Mickey.

"Welcome to Castle Oblivion," Mickey said. Aqua looked at him strangely, wondering how he came up with that name. Sora, on the other hand, was filled with a sense of déjà vu.

"It seems…so familiar," Sora remarked.

"That's because you've been here before, Sora," Riku told him. Suddenly, Sora groaned in pain, falling to his knees.

"Sora? What's wrong?!" Aqua asked with concern. The boy held his head, as his eyes slowly shut.

* * *

_The room was purely white, with two doors. At one end stood Sora, Namine, Goofy, Donald, and the replica of Riku. Marluxia glared at the group, his eyes narrowed with hatred._

"_Imbeciles!" he mocked. A lone, red petal fell from the air. The pink-haired figure grabbed it, and it transformed into a huge scythe._

"_You would knowingly shackle your heart with a chain of memories born of lies?" he asked. Sora didn't answer, and entered his fighting position._

"_You would be one who has a heart, yet cast aside your heart's freedom?" Marluxia questioned. Riku stretched his arm in front of Namine._

"_You turn from the truth because your heart is weak," he declared. At that moment, Sora's foe froze in place. The boy eyed him strangely, and realized that nobody else was moving._

"_How interesting. Your heart must truly be strong to recall this memory," said a voice. Sora spun around, and saw an unmasked Vanitas. Everyone frozen faded away. "No wonder I can't possess you."_

"_What's going on?" Sora asked. Vanitas grinned, and withdrew his Keyblade._

"_We're having a rematch," Vanitas responded. Suddenly, a portal of light appeared behind Sora. The two turned, and saw a small armored figure emerge. The person was about their height, and had predominantly gray armor. Vanitas grinded his teeth as the man took off his helmet. Sora recognized the man as Ventus and widened his eyes. The blonde smiled._

"_How about we have one instead?" Ventus asked._

"_Stay out of this, Ventus! You don't serve any purpose for me!" Vanitas barked. Ignoring his dark counterpart, Ventus charged at Vanitas. Their blades clashed, and a white flash engulfed the room.

* * *

_

Sora opened his eyes, noticing that he was flat on the ground. He slowly stood up, and turned his head to see Aqua staring at him.

"Sora, what happened?" she asked. He sighed in response.

"I'm not sure" Sora replied. Trying not to worry about her apprentice, Aqua continued to walk towards the castle.

The inside was much less depressing than its exterior. Just as Sora saw in his vision, the room was bright and almost completely white. Aqua summoned and aimed her black Keyblade. Its teeth, which were shaped like an "E", shot a beam of light at the wall. The wall transformed into a door, and the group walked inside.

"Riku, do you remember seeing this?" Mickey asked. He shook his head.

"No," he replied. "I didn't even know that this castle had hidden rooms." The Keyblade wielders began to walk up a long staircase.

"This castle was once the Land of Departure, my homeworld," Aqua said. "After Ventus and I were brought to Yen Sid's tower, his Keyblade led us to our homeworld. We sadly saw that our world had been destroyed by darkness."

Sora understood that situation. When the Destiny Islands were destroyed by darkness, Sora was filled with grief and sorrow. Aqua glanced at her Keyblade.

"Using this Keyblade, which belonged to my master, I transformed what was left of the old castle into this new one," Aqua explained. "To protect Ventus, I hid him in a room that nobody would be able to reach other than me." The group reached the top of the staircase, and saw a wall in front of them.

"We can't go any further," Riku remarked. Aqua smiled.

"That's what someone would normally think," she told him. "However, I know a little password that will get us through."

Aqua aimed her Keyblade at the wall. It channeled a beam of light, and Aqua carved a strange symbol on the wall. Sora looked at it closely, and realized that Aqua wore the same symbol on her shirt. She finished carving the symbol, and the wall faded away in a flash of light, revealing another room. Its walls were patterned with Aqua's symbol. In the center was a large throne. They walked to the other side of the throne and gaped in shock.

An adult with blonde hair was sitting in the throne. His body wasn't bulky, yet it seemed to be in decent shape. Aqua smiled at the sight.

"It looks like Ven has grown since I last saw him," she said aloud. Mickey shook the immobile man.

"Ven, can you hear me?" Mickey asked. Ven didn't move at all. The mouse sighed in disappointment. He had hoped that Ventus would eventually wake up on his own.

"I guess he really can't awaken without his heart," Mickey said. Sora put a hand over his chest.

"Then I guess I don't have a choice," Sora remarked. The others eyed him suspiciously. Silently, Sora summoned his Keyblade, pointing the blade at his heart. Immediately realizing what he was about to do, Aqua swiftly summoned her own Keyblade. She swung as quickly as she could, knocking Sora's weapon to the floor. Her enraged face was only a few inches from Sora's, looking directly at him.

"What are you doing?!" she yelled. Sora blinked, but narrowed his eyes with defiance.

"I'm trying to release Ven's heart!" he responded. Aqua sighed, trying to calm herself.

"Here's your first Keyblade lesson," Aqua said. Sora crossed his arms.

"In order to unlock a body's heart with a normal Keyblade, you have to be a Keyblade Master," Aqua stated. "Thus, if you tried unlocking your heart right now, you'd simply destroy your body."

"But I unlocked my heart before, and I returned to normal!" Sora argued. Aqua widened her eyes in surprise. She hadn't expected anything like that.

"Sora, that's only because Kairi found you as a Heartless," Riku reminded him. The female Keyblade Master looked at Sora curiously.

"You know Kairi?" she asked.

"Yeah, she's my girlfriend," Sora answered. Aqua chuckled.

"What a small world," she said. "I met her years ago. She helped you turn back to normal?"

"Yeah," Sora replied. Aqua held her chin, trying to think of an answer. Having read multiple books on how Keyblades can unlock one's heart, Aqua felt as if she should know the answer. Finally, she gave up.

"I'm afraid I don't understand how that happened, Sora," the woman told him.

"Well, I guess it's like my friend Ansem said," Mickey suggested. "Hearts are unpredictable." Aqua grinned in agreement.

* * *

Even at night, Radiant Garden was still a sight to behold. Lanterns and stars illuminated the peaceful world. Ansem the Wise stood in front of a rocky wall which was blocking the path to his castle. Merlin, who was standing next to the ruler, examined the structure while scratching his head.

"Well, this is quite an obstacle," Merlin admitted. "I can't move it." Ansem narrowed his eyes at Merlin, failing to understand. He was one of the most powerful wizards in the universe,

"Why can't you move it?" Ansem asked.

"Well, first I have to look up a spell that would work," Merlin answered. "Besides that, I'm not sure if I have enough power to perform the spell. I've never moved something so big before, Ansem." Ansem continued to stare at the wall as his mind pondered.

"Who could have been powerful enough to do this?" Ansem inquired.

"I'm not sure," the wizard said. "Whoever did this must have an incredible mastery of magic."

Meanwhile, on top of the huge wall, a man cloaked in black looked at the sight below.

"How pathetic," Xehanort said. "Those old fools can't figure out how to move it. That makes things even more convenient for me." In a wisp of darkness, Braig appeared behind him. Xehanort turned to him, removing his hood.

"Have you found them yet?" the silver-haired man asked.

"Yeah, that's what I was gonna ask you about," Braig said. Xehanort looked at him with confusion, wondering what he meant. "How much time do I have?" The Keyblade Master narrowed his eyes.

"Very little," he replied. "You still haven't found them?"

"I searched the entire town, Xehanort," Braig claimed. "I checked every possible spot but couldn't find any of them."

"Then search the town again," Xehanort ordered. "And don't come back until you find them!"

"Or else what?" Braig asked with a smirk. Immediately after that statement, Xehanort's Keyblade appeared, its sharp end inches from Braig's throat. The man cowered into a corridor of darkness and disappeared. Xehanort walked away from the edge of the cliff, approaching a blue suit of armor and a Keyblade.

"Maybe I can use it out here," Xehanort said to himself. He touched the armor, but was overcome with pain. The man grunted, jumped back and clutched his hand. Xehanort glared at the armor.

"Perhaps I can use the Keyblade instead," he said. Xehanort grabbed the Keyblade, which immediately faded out of his hand. It reappeared behind the armor.

"So it wasn't the Room of Sleep that prevented me from using these," Xehanort remarked. He noticed that his hands were covered in darkness. "It was this source of power."

* * *

At a white table in Castle Oblivion, the Keyblade bearers sat next to each other.

"We have to decide what we're going to do next," Aqua said. "Ventus is safe here, but we still have to find Terra."

"And Xion," Riku added. Mickey stroked his chin, trying to think of an idea.

"I think we should split up," he suggested. Sora turned to him with disappointment.

"Split up again?" he asked. The mouse looked at the boy with a regretful expression. Sora had done so much for the worlds. Yet it seemed like every now and then, he ended up being separated from his friends.

"I'm sorry, Sora," Mickey replied. "But I think it's the only way to cover enough ground in time." Riku looked at the mouse with confusion.

"Wait, what do you mean in time?" Riku asked.

"Well, if Axel is back, that means Xehanort and the others might have returned as well," Mickey stated. "And if Xehanort's back, we're really on a tight schedule."

"Can any of us beat him at his full power?" Riku inquired.

"I'm not sure," Mickey said. Sora turned to Aqua.

"Aqua, could you take him?" he asked. Mickey held up his finger.

"Sora, it's Master Aqua to you," the mouse lectured. "Remember, she's your master now."

"Relax, Mickey, it's not that big of a deal," Aqua assured him. She turned to her apprentice. "I'm not sure, Sora. If this Xehanort is as powerful as the one I knew, it's going to be very difficult."

For the next few seconds, the group was silent.

"So, how should we split up?" Riku asked.

"I think that Aqua and Sora should search for Terra," Mickey suggested. "Meanwhile, Riku and I will try to learn how to bring back Xion." The others nodded in agreement. Mickey, Riku and Sora proceeded to leave the room. Suddenly, Aqua grabbed Sora by the arm, stopping him.

"Wait, Sora," Aqua said. He turned to her in confusion.

"What is it, Aqua?" he asked. He quickly shook his head. "I mean, Master Aqua." Aqua chuckled.

"It's alright," she said. "I want to show you something." Aqua opened a cabinet in the corner of the room. She took out a small, armored shoulder pad and handed it to Sora.

"Put it on and press it," Aqua commanded. Sora nodded, equipping the piece of metal. He pressed the armor, creating a bright flash of light. When the light had faded away, Sora was suddenly wearing a suit of armor. Its color pattern was similar to his normal clothes, with most of the armor being black while the rest was red. The boots, however, were golden. The boy held up his hands and examined parts of the armor. The design of the armor was similar to Ven's, with the helmet's ears positioned at a backwards angle.

"Wow." Sora exclaimed. "This is incredible!"

"That suit will protect you against darkness in our quest," Aqua informed him. Summoning all of her hope, she slammed a piece of armor on her own shoulder, blinding Sora with light. He opened his eyes, seeing Aqua in a suit of blue and black armor. She summoned her old Keyblade, Rain Storm.

"Finally," Aqua remarked. "That's the first time I could summon my armor in a while." Sora scratched his head.

"Why couldn't you summon it before?" he asked. Aqua shrugged her shoulders.

"I wish I knew," she said. Aqua summoned a portal of darkness. She pointed to Sora's Keyblade.

"Hold your Keyblade tightly," Aqua commanded. His gauntlets gripped the weapon. "With your best effort, try to believe that you have to escape." Sora did so. Suddenly, his Keyblade transformed into a vehicle resembling a skateboard. The device had a booster at one end. Sora jumped on, and saw Aqua climb into her own vehicle.

"Follow me," Aqua said. "I can't miss my date." The master and apprentice flew into the portal.


	10. Chapter 10: Unpleasant Reunions

**Kingdom Hearts: Reconnection of Souls**

**Chapter 10: Unpleasant Reunions**

In the midst of purple darkness, Aqua and Sora drove their Keyblade Riders. More than ever before, Sora felt confused. His past journeys seemed so straightforward: travel to worlds and destroy the Heartless and Nobodies. But this mission was different. Sora had to save three people, and he wasn't even sure how to do it. Adding to his misery was the fact that he was once again separated from Riku and Kairi, and this time, he didn't even have the company of Donald or Goofy.

He turned to Aqua, remembering that he had her on this adventure. Maybe if he tried to learn more about her, his loneliness would be relieved.

"So, Aqua, how close were you with Terra and Ven?" Sora asked. She looked at him, her expression hidden by her helmet. "Ever since Terra and I met Ventus, we were practically inseparable."

The apprentice didn't realize that Ventus hadn't always been with them. "Then when did you meet Terra?"

"We had been training together since we were about five years old," Aqua replied as she started to reminisce:

* * *

_A young Aqua, appearing about 5 years old, ran through a field of grass._

"_Help, help!" she playfully cried out. Terra jumped out of the bushes, slashing the air with a wooden sword. Unexpectedly, he fell to the ground. Aqua turned in dismay._

"_Terra!" she yelled. He stabbed the wooden sword into the ground, using it to stand himself up. He charged continue to swing at the air, and ended his combo by slamming the ground with his weapon. He turned to Aqua with a confident smile._

"_Don't worry Aqua, I beat the monsters," he assured her. Aqua hugged him. "Oh, thank you so much, Terra."_

_The two laughed, soon lying on the grass. Suddenly, Aqua wondered what would have happened if that situation were real. The girl turned to her friend. "If there were real monsters, would you save me?" _

_Terra nodded. "Of course."_

"_Why?" Aqua asked. "Why put yourself in so much danger?"_

"_Well, for one thing, we're friends, and that means we look out for each other," Terra said. He looked at her, staring directly into her eyes. "And other than that, it's the duty of the knight to save his princess."_

_Aqua raised her eyebrows in surprise. "I'm your princess?" she inquired. _

_Terra turned away, his face blushing."I never said that." he argued._

_Aqua narrowed her eyes. "Yes you did!"_

"_Nope," he insisted. Aqua put her hands on her hips. "But you just said it!"_

_Terra was calm again, and smirked at her. "Well, I guess you'll never find out…unless you catch me!" With that, the child ran off, with Aqua close behind him._

_

* * *

_

Snapping out of her memory, Aqua saw Radiant Garden nearing them. As the two glided over the tranquil town, a hooded figure watched them.

There had to be hundreds of them. Kairi could only stare in disbelief at hordes of Heartless attacking the main island. Turning to Tidus and Wakka, she yelled "Row faster!"

The boys propelled the boat with all their strength. Suddenly, the water began to rise at an angle, tipping the boat toward its right. Glancing to their left, the teens saw a huge Heartless emerge from the ocean. Turning its seahorse-like head, it roared at the group.

"What is that thing?" Tidus screamed. The creature whipped its purple tentacle at the boat. Before the monster could smash it, Kairi cast reflect.

"Keep rowing while I try to defend us!" Kairi ordered. The beast followed the group, continuing to whip its tentacles. The girl blocked the attacks every time, but she could feel her magic quickly draining.

"Don't give up, Kairi!" Wakka said. "Just a few more seconds."

With her energy nearly empty, Kairi fell to the ground. Almost smiling at this sight, the monster thrust its head at the boat. At the last second, the princess of heart used one more reflect spell, breaking the leviathan's teeth when it made contact. The injured beast screeched and dove into the waters' depths.

The boat brushed against the rough shore, and the three friends promptly jumped on the sand. They sat on the beach, still shocked at what happened.

"That was too close," Tidus remarked. Wakka nodded, and analyzed the landscape. The beach was littered with Soldiers and Shadows.

"Why did they choose to attack now?" the older boy asked.

The female wondered about that. The Heartless had only come to the islands once before. The creatures of darkness destroyed the strips of land, but thanks to Sora, the islands were restored. Was there a connection between this huge invasion of Heartless and Sora's disappearance?

"Maybe…it's because Sora isn't here anymore," the girl suggested.

A voice's soft laughter began to echo. "Oh aren't you clever? I suppose such wit should be expected of a princess of heart."

Green fire began to burst from the sand, slowly forming a shadowy figure. The flames vanished, revealing a woman with green skin and black horns.

Kairi narrowed her eyes at the figure. "Maleficent! What are you doing here?"

"What, you don't think I'm here just to visit?" she asked. "Perhaps you brats aren't imbeciles after all."

Tidus exchanged a confused glance with Wakka. "Who is this ugly lady?"

Maleficent clenched her teeth. "UGLY? How dare you say that to me!"

The witch raised her staff high into the air, preparing to use a spell. Kairi instinctively summoned her Keyblade. Maleficent looked in shock at the weapon.

"You have a key too?" the sorceress asked

"That's right, and I know how to use it!" she replied.

The mistress of evil began to laugh. She lowered her staff, and flames began to form around her. "I suppose they just hand those things out these days. But if you really can use that, you shouldn't have any trouble with fighting my Heartless!"

Kairi charged at the figure, but she vanished, causing the Keyblade to swipe only air. Kairi turned to the others.

"We have to keep moving," she commanded. "If we don't stop those monsters, they'll kill everyone that we care for!"

The girl walked away, while Tidus and Wakka followed closely. Although she hid it well, Kairi felt terrified. She didn't think that they'd be able to defeat all those Heartless. It seemed like there were hundreds of them.

* * *

Underneath a full moon, he was sitting on a park bench. The man turned his head to see Aqua approaching him.

"There you are!" he said. "I know I was supposed to find you, but that was much harder than I thought."

"Sorry I'm late, Zack," she apologized. He chuckled while she sat next to him.

"Don't worry, I'm just joking" he assured her.

The woman analyzed the area, wondering why her date had picked the park. Unable to develop an answer, Aqua smiled at him. "So, what do we do first?"

"Dinner," Zack replied. He grabbed a box of pizza, napkins, and two bottles of soda from underneath the bench. He held out the box towards Aqua. "You can have the first slice."

"Pizza and soda in a park," Aqua said. She grabbed a slice, looking at Zack. "You're such a romantic."

The pair laughed. Aqua relaxed, gazing at the man's black hair, which dimly glowed light under the moonlight. His eyes were a vibrant shade of blue, just like Terra's.

She tried to silently shake herself out of it. Why did every thought seem lead to him? Did she simply miss him? Or was it something more? Did she love him?

Refocused, Aqua turned her body towards his. "Zack, what do you know about love?"

Surprised by the question, the man raised an eyebrow. "Not that much. I know there are different kinds of love. For example, the way someone loves a brother is very different than how he would love his wife."

"How can you tell if you're in love?" Aqua asked. "I mean romantic love."

Zack shrugged. "There are different signs. Some are if you're always thinking about the person or if you feel a strong desire to be with him."

The man smirked at Aqua. "Don't tell me you love me already."

The woman shook her head. "I don't, and I don't think I ever will." The puzzled man narrowed his eyes.

"Zack, I think I'm already in love with somebody," she admitted.

He sighed, accepting what he was suspecting. "It's Terra, isn't it?"

She widened her eyes in shock, unable to say anything.

"Don't worry, I think he loves you too."

"How could you tell?" Aqua inquired.

The man softly smiled. "When he visited Olympus Coliseum, he kept talking about this blue-haired girl that he was crazy for."

The woman almost felt her heart stop. Terra genuinely did love her. And once she found him, they could share their true feelings.

"I didn't think a tough guy like that could be such a softie," the brunette remarked.

Looking at the stars, Aqua nodded. "Yeah, that's my Terra."

My Terra. She'd have to get used to calling him that.

In the bushes, Sora continued his vigilant watch. Suddenly, he saw a hooded figure sprinting towards the two adults. Grinding his teeth, he summoned Oathkeeper.

"Thunder!" Sora called out. Aqua and Zack snapped their heads to see the figure blasted with lightning, the pain forcing him to collapse.

Sora dashed towards the two. "Sorry about that, guys. Didn't mean to screw up your date."

Zack casually grinned. "Nah, it's alright kid."

Aqua approached the enigmatic figure. The minute she touched his cloak, he vanished in darkness. The three looked in every direction.

"Where'd he go?" Aqua asked.

"What's wrong, Keyblade Master? Your awareness getting rusty?" a voice called out.

Following the source of the voice, Aqua spotted Braig sitting on a tree branch. Rage filled her eyes. "You!"

"And who are you calling rusty, old man?" Sora yelled.

Braig chuckled, jumping down from the tree. "You fool, I was talking to the REAL Keyblade Master. You're just a rookie."

Zack withdrew his sword. "I'm guessing this guy isn't a friend of yours."

"That's crazy!" Braig exclaimed. "We're great friends, right Aqua? And might I say you look even better! Those twelve years separated from Terra and Ventus really did your body wonders!"

Before he could react, a barrage of ice crystals smashed Braig into a tree, trapping him. As he struggled to break free, Aqua pressed her Keyblade against his throat.

"Why do they always go for the neck?" he muttered to himself.

"I should destroy you for what you've caused!" Aqua yelled. "If it weren't for you, I could have freed Ven, and then we could have helped Terra. But instead you ruined everything."

"Since we're still talking about Terra, I wonder how he's doing," the man said. "Considering how much he loved darkness, that guy must be a monstrous Heartless by now."

Aqua pressed the weapon against him with even more pressure, making him snicker.

"That's it, kill me, give into your darkness," he goaded her.

Resisting her hatred, Aqua melted the ice, freeing him. She pointed Rain Fall at him. "Unless you're here for a reason, I suggest you leave."

Braig shook his hands. "Oh, don't worry, I came here for a real purpose. I just thought you might be interested to know that Xehanort's back."

"Xehanort?" Aqua and Sora screamed in unison. The master glanced at her young apprentice. How did he know who Xehanort was?

He confidently nodded. "That's right! And his first order of business is the usual: wreak havoc on the worlds and steal their hearts. But this time, he has control over Heartless and Nobodies!"

"Where is he now?" Aqua asked.

Braig shrugged. "I don't know, he doesn't tell me EVERYTHING. But I don't tell him everything either, so I guess that makes it even."

Sora pointed his Keyblade at the man as well. "Just stop blabbering and confess what you know!"

"Why should I?" Braig asked. "You guys have done this before. It's the same drill. Travel the worlds and save them. And while you're at it, you may as well save Terra and Ventus too."

"Contrary to what you think, Ven is completely safe!" Aqua replied.

Braig slowly began to fade into darkness. "Then I suppose you better focus on helping Terra."

The man disappeared from the three heroes' sight.

Aqua turned to Zack, her face filled with regret. "Sorry to cut this date short, Zack, but we have to start helping the worlds."

"Don't worry about it," he told her. "I'll do my part to keep this place safe."

Together, Aqua and Sora activated their armor. Mounting their Keyblades, the two flew into a portal high above.


	11. Chapter 11: The Toy's World

**Kingdom Hearts: Reconnection of Souls**

**Chapter 11: The Toys' World**

_AU: Sorry it took me so long to get this up. I was trying to think of what Disney world to start with. I finally figured it out, but forgive me if I don't remember the exact dialogue or scenes. I tried to keep it as close to the original as possible. Other than that, I've discussed some of the pairings in this story with people on KHInsiders, and I've started realizing how to improve them from here on out. Anyway, enjoy!_

Underneath a brightly painted ceiling, several toys stood on a bed. Among them were a cowboy, a female shepherd, a green dinosaur, and a pig. In the center of the bed, a glamorous toy was frozen in a box. It was a man wearing a futuristic suit. He jumped out from the box, extending the wings attached to his back. Glancing at the toys, he smiled.

"I am Buzz Lightyear, space ranger!" the man stated. As the toys continued to stare, he began examining the box.

"It appears that my ship has been damaged," he added. "The engines seem to be broken beyond repair."

Finally, one of the toys approached him. The cowboy extended his hand. "My name's Woody. And you can stop pretending. We all know we're just toys."

About to shake his hand, Buzz stopped. "Just toys? Did you hit your head on something, sheriff?"

Woody narrowed his eyes. "No, I'm being completely serious. I'm a toy, you're a toy, we're all toys!"

The space ranger chuckled. "Oh, the humor here is so refreshing. Some of the people back at star command can't even crack a smile."

Suddenly, a small black creature with beady yellow eyes popped out of the ground.

The dinosaur cowered behind the pig. "What is that?"

The pig glared at him. "Rex, why are you hiding behind me? You're twice my size!"

"I know you can't protect me," Rex replied. "I'm using use as a security blanket of sorts."

Buzz aimed his arm at the creature. "Don't worry, my laser will do the job!"

Yet when he pressed the device, it merely made a red flash and a sound effect. Buzz stared in puzzlement. "Someone's corrupted my system!"

Realizing the others wouldn't take action, Woody stomped on the creature. Unfortunately, it had no effect, and the monster jumped on him.

"Gah!" Woody yelled. "Get off!"

He tossed the dark being away. Meanwhile, Buzz began to jump up and down on the bed. Finally, he bounced high into the air. With his wings out, he dived on the beast, destroying it. The other toys, excluding the cowboy, began to cheer.

"Hold on, hold on!" Woody screamed.

The other toys turned to him. "Shouldn't we be worried about where this thing came from?"

"I already know who it was working for," Buzz claimed. "Emperor Zurg, my cruel nemesis, sent this creature to destroy me!"

Sighing, Woody held up Buzz's arm. "See this? It's made of plastic! You are a toy! An action figure! A child's plaything!"

Buzz pushed him away. "Hands off, sheriff! Obviously you don't know a metal alloy when you see it."

Before Woody could respond, dozens of the black creatures appeared on the bed. Most of the toys ran for cover, but Buzz and Woody aimed their fists, prepared to fight.

* * *

The depths of space seemed different to Aqua. When she used to travel the worlds, the pathways of space were purple. Now they were blue, much like her hair color. Did the color change over time? Or was it caused by the growing darkness? It probably was the darkness. As far as Aqua was concerned, darkness was a tool of pure destruction. It destroyed her homeworld, her master, and possibly even her true love. She still couldn't fathom what happened to Terra. When she confronted him in Radiant Garden, he seemed so different. The Terra she knew never would have been so violent and aggressive. Not to mention his appearance had change. His hair had turned silver, the skin was darker, and those gorgeous blue eyes that she adored were suddenly amber…just like Master Xehanort's. She shoved that thought away. Terra could NEVER be like Xehanort.

But perhaps Terra did change. She had only seen him a few times before the clash at the Keyblade Graveyard. And Yen Sid told her that Terra and Xehanort had killed Eraqus. But which one did it? Terra claimed he helped out Master Xehanort, but what had he meant by that? Did he help kill Eraqus? Or did he kill Eraqus and help Xehanort destroy the world? She refused to think that the boy would have done that. He was too compassionate for such a cruel deed.

"Things are so different now," Aqua said.

Sora turned to her. "What?"

"I used to travel the worlds in search of Master Xehanort," she told him. "Back then, everyone was safe. My master Eraqus, Terra, Ven…but now they're gone in one way or another."

"Just because they're gone doesn't mean they can't be brought back," Sora replied.

Aqua, her eyes still hidden by the helmet, stared at Sora in confusion. "How do you know that, Sora?"

Hoping he wouldn't crash into anything, the boy looked at his master. "Because I'm starting to realize that the heart is capable of anything. Maybe all we really need is our memories of them."

The woman chuckled. "I doubt it's that simple, Sora."

"I think it might be," said the boy.

Aqua was calmed by his hope. Over time, her own hope had started to fade away. But Sora seemed so optimistic. Could he be right? Could finding Terra be as simple as following your heart? Probably not. Besides, she could be assuming too much. Terra may not be alive anymore. It was hard to believe, but what if he died the moment he stabbed himself with the Keyblade. Wait…that wasn't true. Ansem said that he found Terra, probably after his fight with Aqua. Yet he introduced himself as _Xehanort_. Perhaps if she learned more about this Xehanort that Ansem knew, she'd figure out what became of Terra.

"Sora, tell me about the Xehanort that you know," Aqua pleaded.

Sora continued staring forward, leaving Aqua to wonder whether he didn't hear her or was just watching the path ahead.

"The Xehanort that I know of was a twisted man," Sora said.

"Was?" Aqua inquired.

Could Terra be dead after all?

Her apprentice merely nodded. "He began studying the darkness in people's hearts and his own heart was consumed by it. He turned into a Heartless, a being with no heart, and a Nobody, a being of body and soul that shouldn't even exist. The Heartless took the name Ansem, impersonating his former master. The Nobody called himself Xemnas, which strangely enough was an anagram of the word _Ansem_ if the X is removed."

Sora was surprised he knew about that. Did he figure it out on his own? Or was Roxas feeding him information as he spoke?

"What happened to them?" asked Aqua.

Sora sighed. "They were devastating the worlds…and ultimately, my friends and I ensured their destruction. The light of Kingdom Hearts destroyed Ansem. Riku and I defeated Xemnas."

The boy clutched his fist. "But now none of that matters. The man with the eyepatch, Xigbar…at least that was his name as a Nobody…claimed that Xehanort is back. And if he's come back from nothingness, I'm sure Xehanort has too."

Aqua felt compelled to meet this Xehanort persona. She understood that he was a threat, but she had to see him. She had to see his face, to know if he was really Terra.

Suddenly, a world appeared in front of the pair. Its most prominent features were two houses jutting out.

"Sora, let's start our search here," she ordered.

The apprentice followed the master, and the two sped towards their new destination.

* * *

The sun peeked over the horizon, as it always had and would. Two outsiders strolled through Twilight Town's peaceful streets.

One of them, Mickey, turned to white-haired friend. "Have you been here before?"

Riku nodded. "Several times. But why are we here now?"

"The truth is, I don't have a clue about how we could bring back Xion," Mickey admitted. "Do you?"

The boy shook his head. "I wish I did."

"Well, if there's one person who would know something like that, it's Yen Sid," Mickey declared.

"Yen Sid?" Riku asked. "Your old master?"

"That's the one," Mickey answered. "He taught me everything I know about the Keyblade. But more importantly, he probably knows some way to help Xion."

"I don't understand though," Riku said. "Are you sure Xion needs our help, Mickey?"

He nodded. "I'm positive. Nobodies are meant to be united with their hearts, but she wasn't a Nobody. She was a replica, and as long as she's part of Sora, she'll never be complete. I don't think she was meant to be part of him, despite being made from his memories."

"That seems to make sense," Riku agreed. "So where's Yen Sid?"

"He stays at a tower near here," the mouse told him. "We need to take a train to get there."

Riku raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? I could just summon a corridor of darkness, like back at Castle Oblivion."

Mickey shook his head. "No, I'm afraid we might attract attention from the Heartless or Nobodies."

Riku shrugged. "If you insist, Mickey."

"I have to admit, I'm surprised you still have that power, Riku," Mickey told him. "I thought you lost it when you turned back to normal."

"I was training on Destiny Islands," he explained. "Now I've mastered it."

"Hey!" a voice called out. Mickey turned and smiled at the sight of Hayner, Pence, and Olette.

"Nice to see you, your majesty," Olette said.

"Hi guys!" Mickey greeted. "Good to see you three again. And it looks like you've grown a bit too."

They had. Pence looked like he was shaving, Olette's body had matured, and Hayner's muscles had grown. Yet none of them were as big as Riku. Speaking of which, the blonde eyed the Keyblade wielder.

"Say…who's you friend?" he asked.

"I'm Riku," the boy said.

Hayner's eyes lit up. "So you're Riku! Kairi and Sora talked about you."

Riku frowned. "Whatever bad stuff they said, I didn't do any of it."

Everyone, including Riku laughed at the joke.

Calming down, Hayner rubbed his chin. "Out of curiosity…can you wield a Keyblade too?"

The boy nodded and summoned the _Way to Dawn_. Riku held it up, contrasting its dark colors with the gleaming sunset.

"Wow, that looks cooler than the one Sora had," Pence stated.

The Keyblade vanished and Riku frowned slightly. "I forgot to ask this…but what are your names again?"

The blonde smiled. "Name's Hayner."

The girl nodded. "And I'm Olette."

The black-haired youth pointed to himself. "My name's Pence."

"It's nice to meet all of you," Riku sincerely stated.

"Hey, Riku, we were just heading to the beach," Olette said. "You guys wanna tag along."

"Sorry, fellas," the mouse said with regret. "But we're on our way to see somebody. There's a friend in trouble who we need to help."

Hayner frowned. "It isn't Sora, is it?"

Riku shook his head. "Nah, Sora's traveling with his new Keyblade Master."

Pence crossed his arms. "I thought he already was a master."

Before Riku could respond, Mickey shook his head. "Not yet. He's experienced, but not nearly as powerful as his new master."

Olette waved goodbye to the pair. "Well, we gotta get going before the train leaves. Nice seeing you guys."

The group ran off as Riku and Mickey waved. The King walked in the direction opposite the kids with Riku behind him.

* * *

Sora and Aqua took in their new surroundings. They were in a bedroom, yet it seemed to be designed for a giant.

Aqua saw a few notches on the wall with handwritten measurements on them. She pressed her head against the wall, and looked up in shock.

"I'm less than a foot tall!" Aqua exclaimed.

Sora found a large ruler lying on the ground and measure himself. "This is crazy! Why am I only 8 inches?"

Aqua measured herself with it as well. "It says I'm only 10 inches. How strange."

Still confused, the duo found themselves surrounded by dozens of soldiers and shadows.

"Looks like there's trouble here after all," Aqua muttered.

As she was about to attack, Sora held his arm in front of her.

"I'll take care of this," he said.

The woman watched in astonishment as Sora was engulfed in light. When it faded away, his clothes were colorless shades of black and white. He summoned two Keyblades, Oblivion and Oathkeeper, and charged after the Heartless. Leaping and spinning in the air, he began to slash away at all the monsters with seemingly endless combos as Aqua watched in amazement. She didn't realize how powerful Sora was. In this form, he might be able to hold his own against even her, Terra, or Ven.

Sora finished off the last Heartless and smiled at Aqua. "It's been a while since I had to use this form."

"Sora…what just happened?" Aqua asked.

Sora held his garments. "My clothes let me tap in to my full power, and when that happens, I transform."

Suddenly, Sora groaned as he held his head, and his clothes returned to normal. He looked at Aqua again. "Unfortunately, I can only sustain these forms for a limited amount of time, and they take away a huge amount of energy. Especially that one, because it's my strongest."

Aqua nodded. "But even so, you're potential is even greater than I thought. You might be able to defeat me in that form."

Sora chuckled. "Yeah, but what good is that if I lose a bunch of energy and turn back to normal in a few minutes."

His master crossed her arms. "Then it's settled. From here on out, the focus of our training will be to help you stay in that form. Eventually, you might be able to use that power ALL the time, without even wearing those clothes."

Sora's eyes lit up. "That sounds incredible! You really think I could do that?"

"Definitely," Aqua said.

Suddenly, the two heard a scream from the bed.

"Someone get rid of this thing!" a voice cried out. The two ran towards the bed and began climbing it. Once they reached the top, they saw several large bodies pushing around a toy cowboy. A toy spaceman was aiming his arm at them and pushing his red button, but there didn't seem to be any effect.

"Looks like they're immune to my lasers," Buzz muttered.

"You don't have any lasers, you idiot!" Woody yelled.

As a large body was about to dive on the sheriff, the Kingdom Key ripped through its back in midair. Its remaining ashes vanished into darkness as they floated down. Woody turned in surprise to see Aqua and Sora destroying the strange creatures. The boy slashed his Keyblade through two of the Large Bodies, while Aqua defeated the other five with a barrage of fireballs. With the Heartless defeated, the Keyblade warriors approached Woody and Buzz.

"Are you two alright?" Aqua asked. "Did they break anything?"

Woody shook his head. "No, thank goodness. But I think that's only because you guys showed up."

"Yeah, you two are impressive fighters," Buzz admitted. "Who are you anyway?"

"I'm Aqua," the woman said.

Buzz shook her hand. "Buzz Lightyear…space ranger of Star Command."

Woody extended his hand to Sora. "I'm Woody."

"Nice to meet you Woody," the boy said as he accepted the greeting. "My name's Sora."

The sheriff approached the bed's hand and motioned his hand to the others. "Come on, the other toys are waiting."

Buzz closed his arm's panel and smiled. "Right, sheriff. I was just…checking the time."

Woody rolled his eyes, and walked away. Buzz, still suspicious towards his new environment, marched after the cowboy.

The Keyblade wielders followed him, while Buzz stayed behind. The space ranger opened up his arm and moved his mouth near it. "Lightyear log 2021. It's been approximately three hours since I landed on this unidentified planet. My ship has been damaged beyond repair, and it seems that Zurg has sent assassins after me. Everyone here seems to suffer from a mental disorder…they think we're all toys…they think I'M a toy!"

"Buzz, what are you doing?" a voice called out.

The ranger turned to see Woody staring at him.

"Sorry, Woody," Buzz apologized.

The toys leaped off the bed and walked with the room's two new residents

* * *

Sitting down for the first time in hours, Kairi breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone in the town was alive and well. All the Heartless on the mainland had been taken care of, and the citizens were armed with weapons in case they returned. Only metallic weapons would have any effect on the Heartless, however.

Kairi looked at her friends. Wakka, Tidus, and Selphie were all sitting near her.

Wakka smiled. "I think we chased off those monsters for good. They know they don't have a chance against Tidus and me."

Selphie laughed, and looked at the weapon beside Kairi. "Hey Kairi, what is that thing anyway?"

Kairi looked at her in surprise. She almost forgot about the Keyblade next to her. The other kids had never seen one before. Since Riku and Sora returned home, the two refrained from using their Keyblades. The main reason they did so was to prevent Heartless from showing up. But they also did it because nobody else on the islands even KNEW about the Keyblades. When their home was reconstructed after being swallowed by darkness, no one remembered anything about what truly happened. Only Kairi remembered for some odd reason. When she once asked what became of Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka when the islands were consumed by darkness, they thought she was going insane. So how could she explain everything now? Really though, she didn't HAVE to explain everything. Besides, what were the odds they'd even believe her?

"This is a Keyblade," Kairi said. "It's like a sword, except it's a huge threat to the Heartless."

Tidus nodded. "And you mentioned those things are the Heartless, right?"

Kairi nodded. "They're people who have lost their hearts to darkness."

"What do you mean?" Selphie inquired.

Kairi paused for a moment, determining how to describe them. "When a human is filled with too much of a negative emotion like hatred, he'll turn into a Heartless. Also, if a Heartless takes his heart, he'll turn into one as well, because the stolen heart will turn into a Heartless."

" So the Heartless are hearts filled with darkness?" Wakka asked.

"Basically," Kairi replied.

"Kairi…what did you mean before?" Tidus asked. "When you said that the Heartless might be attacking because Sora isn't here anymore?"

The girl held up her weapon. "Sora wields one of these too. And he's very good at destroying these creatures."

"Where did he disappear to anyway?" asked Wakka. "After the storm, he just disappeared, but a year later he showed up again."

Kairi realized she'd have to reveal some of the secrets after all. "He went on a trip to fight these creatures."

The girl suddenly saw something move out of the corner of her eye. A Shadow jumped towards Selphie, ready to take her heart. As the girl screamed, Kairi cut her Keyblade through the Heartless.

"Looks like we haven't taken care of them after all," the princess of heart muttered.

A shrill voice softly laughed. "Obviously not."

A fountain of green fire erupted from the sand, slowly morphing into Maleficent. The witch smiled evilly at the group. She raised her staff, and everyone except Selphie was constricted by dark thorns. The sorceress grabbed Selphie and disappeared in flames.

"Selphie!" Tidus cried out.

"You witch!" Wakka yelled.

Kairi watched sadly as the flames vanished. "No…"

The thorns holding down Kairi retreated into the ground.

"If you want to see your friend again, come to your play island before nightfall," Maleficent called out.

Kairi cut open the other thorns with her Keyblade. Wakka and Tidus angrily stood up.

"Let's go to that island!" Wakka yelled.

He was shocked to see the redhead shake her head. "No, Wakka. You and Tidus have to stay here in case more Heartless attack. I'll go to the play island alone."

"Are you crazy?" Tidus yelled. "She could destroy you!"

Kairi held back her fear, knowing that was true. "Even so, I can't let her harm Selphie. I need to go back."

Wakka and Tidus smiled, understanding her decision.

"We'll be here when you come back," Wakka assured her.

Kairi smiled in return, knowing he was right. Turning away, the brave girl raced towards the boat on the shore.

* * *

Now next to the other toys, Rex looked at Sora. "So these Heartless are trying to take our hearts?"

The boy nodded. "That's right. In fact, they're probably after the heart of this world."

"And what happens if they take that?" Buzz inquired.

"This world will disappear," Aqua explained.

Slinky shook his head. "That doesn't sound good."

"Is there some way we can stop that from happening?" the shepherd Bo Peep asked.

"Yes, if we can find your world's keyhole, we can lock it and completely protect it from the darkness," Sora told her.

Woody scratched his head. "So where would this world's keyhole be anyway?"

"I'm not sure…I guess we should start by searching this house for it," Sora suggested.

Rex's eyes lit up and pointed to the door. "Hey! That door has a keyhole."

"So does every other door in this house," Hamm said.

Sora smiled. "Alright, then that's a good place to start. We'll just try to seal all of these keyholes."

Woody shrugged. "I guess it'll be fine. Andy's out with his family for his birthday anyway."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Who's Andy?"

"He's our owner," Slinky explained. "When he's around, we can't move or anything, because we're supposed to be lifeless toys."

"Why can't you guys move?" Aqua asked.

"Throughout time, people have thought that toys were non-living objects," Woody explained. "But that's just an illusion. We can move, but we don't want anyone to see us move."

Sora crossed his arms. "I still don't get it. Why can't you move?"

"Do you know how much attention we'd attract if we started moving all the time?" the cowboy yelled. "We'd be on every television channel, scientists would be doing tests on us to figure out how we came alive. Or, if nothing else, our owner starts to think he's crazy because we're actually moving!"

Sora nodded. "I guess that makes sense after all."

Buzz stepped up. "Enough chatter for now. It's time to spread out and defeat Zurg's evil forces."

Aqua quirked an eyebrow. "Zurg?"

"Or as he prefers, Emperor Zurg," Buzz said. "He's my sworn arch-enemy who's caused countless amounts of destruction and chaos in the galaxy. I have a feeling that these _Heartless_ are his minions."

As Woody groaned, Sora looked at the ranger with understanding. "You could be right. More often than not, the Heartless team up with evil people."

Buzz grinned. "Excellent! I'll have my chance to face him after all!"

Woody, still not believing that Zurg was real, led Aqua, Buzz, and Sora out of the room.

* * *

Surprised at the little resistance on the trip to the island and on the island itself, Kairi easily slashed one of the two shadows. In the distance, she saw the other shadow retreating into the cave.

"Where do you think you're going?" Kairi called out.

Giving chase, the girl rushed into the cave and killed the Heartless.

"How pathetic," a voice called out. "That second shadow shouldn't have escaped you so easily. I guess you aren't a threat after all."

Narrowing her eyes Kairi glanced around the entire room, seeing no sign of the villainess. "Where are you Maleficent?"

"Through the door," she said. Kairi saw an ominous door, and grabbed its handle. No matter how hard she pushed or pulled, it wouldn't budge.

"It's so sad that you won't be able to help Selphie in time," Maleficent bragged.

Kairi hesitated. If she opened the door, the islands would be destroyed, wouldn't they? But when Riku opened it the first time, it took a while for the islands to actually be consumed in darkness.

Suddenly, she heard Selphie scream in pain.

"Sounds like your friend could use some help," the witch mocked.

Angry, Kairi aimed her Keyblade at the door. "You'll pay once I get in there, Maleficent!"

She'd have to make it quick. She could rescue Selphie, fight her way back into the cave, and seal the door again. The Keyblade shot a beam of light at the door, and it opened. Kairi smirked, prepared to go inside. Yet something wasn't right. Maleficent was laughing again, but the sound wasn't coming from the door. It was coming from behind her.

Kairi turned to see Maleficent holding Selphie.

"Thank you for opening that door for me," Maleficent said.

Kairi aimed her Keyblade at the witch. "Release Selphie right now, or I'll force you to."

The sorceress laughed. "You think you can defeat me? ME, the mistress of all evil? You're sadly mistaken, girl. You don't nearly have enough experience with that weapon to fight me."

"That doesn't mean I can't try!" Kairi exclaimed.

The girl charged after Maleficent, her Keyblade in hand. Before she could attack the witch though, Maleficent raised a barrier of green fire. Kairi cast an ice spell, but it only made a small opening. Kairi continued casting the spell, maintaining the hole in the fire.

"Selphie, come on!" she yelled. The girl kicked Maleficent hard, managing to break free. She dived through the hole, and Maleficent angrily glared through the flames at the pair. Surprisingly, she raised the flames for some reason.

"Now…you'll both disappear alongside your world!" Maleficent yelled.

Countless Heartless began to pour in. As they did, Kairi pushed her way past them and crawled under the barrier.

Maleficent, not paying attention to the girl, was caught off guard when Kairi swung her Keyblade. Noticing this just in time, Maleficent stepped out of the way as the girl stood up. As Kairi prepared to swing again, the witch and her barrier vanished in fire and shadows. Unexpectedly, a large body knocked Kairi over, and a vortex seemed to be sucking her into the door. Selphie fell in, screaming as she did.

"Selphie!" Kairi yelled out.

Purposely letting go of the ground, Kairi followed her friend into the darkness, trying to catch up. As she was reaching for the girl's hand, the vortex split into a fork, and Kairi and Selphie were thrown their separate ways. Kairi shrieked as she descended into darkness.

* * *

Sora groaned in frustration. "This is ridiculous! We've tried every door and we still haven't found the Keyhole."

He, Woody, and Aqua began walking around the living room, searching for another Keyhole. Buzz, on the other hand, tripped over a remote, accidentally turning the TV on.

"Calling Buzz Lightyear, come in Buzz Lightyear!" a voice called out

Buzz looked up in surprise at the television, the source of the voice.

"This is Star Command," the device said. "Do you read me?"

The space ranger smiled. "Yes, I'm here! Lightyear reporting for-"

"Buzz Lightyear responding, read you loud and clear!" a squeaky voice from the TV said.

The toy raised an eyebrow as the commercial continued. "Buzz Lightyear, Planet Earth needs your help!"

"On the way!" another child's voice said.

Buzz stared in confusion as a child held something in the air. It was HIM. Or at least that's what it looked like. And he was in a box, just like the one on Andy's bed. So why was there a clone of him on television?

"The world's greatest superhero is now the world's greatest TOY!"

Buzz gaped in shock. He couldn't even make a reaction as the video continued. Everything he had known was a lie. There was no star command or Zurg. There were no space rangers. He was a toy…nothing more. Now knowing the sad truth, Buzz shut off the television, and sat down in sorrow.

"Buzz, we're gonna go look in the other room," Woody called out.

The toy nodded silently. Unsure if he was alright, Woody exited the room with Sora and Aqua.

* * *

The three new friends entered the kitchen, only to be surrounded by about twenty dusks.

"What in the world are these things?" the sheriff asked. "More Heartless?"

Sora shook his head. "No, they're Nobodies, which are even more dangerous."

Aqua's Keyblade glowed pink, and she destroyed three of the creatures with a quick melee combo. One of them charged her, but she bounced it back with her protective reflect spell.

Sora stabbed his Keyblade through one of the dusks, and spun like a whirlwind to take out four others.

Aiming her Keyblade at the remaining creatures, Aqua fired colorful bursts of energy at them. The monsters were easily destroyed, and she landed with a smile.

"They don't seem too hard," the female stated.

"Only when they have huge numbers on their side," her apprentice explained.

The boy crossed his arms in puzzlement. "This is strange though. I can't fathom why the Nobodies and Heartless would be working together."

Aqua wasn't sure of the answer either. Especially since she had little experience with these beings. The three suddenly heard robotic laughter.

"So, my minions weren't strong enough to fight you after all," a voice called out.

The three of them turned to the source. Strangely, they saw a new toy. It had red eyes and a yellow mouth like a robot, and a cannon in its one arm. Horns jutted out of its head, while a pointy, purple cape covered its back.

"And just who are you?" Woody called out.

The toy dropped down, now much closer to the heroes. It narrowed its red eyes. "I am Emperor Zurg…ruler of the universe!"

"This is the guy Buzz talked about," Sora pointed out.

Woody was astonished that Zurg actually existed. Though, it did make sense. If a company was going to make a toy hero, why not make a toy villain?

Zurg laughed. "So Buzz Lightyear is here after all. Very good…I can't wait until our battle. I guess you three will be a good warm up"

Woody smiled and shook his head. "Listen, Zurg. You might think you're incredibly powerful, but you forget…you're just a toy like me. And these two aren't! They'll defeat you in seconds."

The evil toy aimed its cannon at Woody, blasting missiles of darkness at him. The toy dived, and looked in horror to see the missiles explode upon hitting the wall.

"Just a toy, huh?" Zurg inquired.

Sora and Aqua stepped in front of the scared cowboy.

"Get to safety," Sora ordered. "We can handle this guy."

"Is that so?" Zurg inquired. "Then what about…this!"

He snapped his fingers, and a huge portal of darkness opened on the floor. A huge black and purple robot with a Heartless symbol stepped out of it, staring angrily at Sora and Aqua. It aimed its arms, which had holes in them instead of hands, at the pair, and fired a purple ball of darkness. Using Reflect, Sora and Aqua knocked it away. Aqua aimed her Keyblade at the beast, and began firing countless fire crystals at it. Unfortunately, the attack just made a bit of steam come off the robot. A sword came out of the robot's other arm, and it swung at Aqua. The Keyblade Master dodged the attack, realizing this enemy would be tough.

Woody, still terrified, peeked into the room to see his new friends in trouble.

"They need help!" he said to himself.

Ignoring what they told him, the sheriff rushed out of the room, determined to find assistance

* * *

Moping as he was before, Buzz sorrowfully sat on the floor. Hearing footsteps, he glanced up to see Woody panting in front of him.

"Buzz…Aqua and Sora need our help!" said the cowboy. "Zurg showed up and attacked them. He has this huge robot helping him!"

"Zurg?" Buzz asked.

So he was a toy too? Despite that, the space ranger shook his head. "What help could I be, Woody? I'm just a stupid toy!"

"What?" the sheriff asked.

Buzz nodded, looking up at the TV. "I saw it on there. It was all the proof I needed. How could I help anyone?…I'm not even a real space ranger."

Woody sat next to his companion. "Buzz, I understand how hard it must be to know that now. But being a toy doesn't make you helpless! You're Buzz Lightyear, the greatest toy ever!"

The space ranger looked at him in surprise.

"Greater than even me," Woody admitted.

Maybe he was right. Did being a toy make you useless? Nonsense! Buzz was able to fight off those Heartless, right? He could still fight. And right now, he had to fight Zurg!

The space ranger stood up, smiling. "Lead on, sheriff."

Woody grinned, and the two raced out of the room.

* * *

Sora continued to bash at the robot's legs, yet it had no effect. Looking down, the Heartless kicked Sora away. As he was about to smash into the wall, Aqua caught him. The woman cast Curaga on her apprentice, and the two glared at the monster.

"It's like our attacks aren't doing anything," Sora said. "How can we destroy this thing?"

As the creature began to approach the two, Aqua fired a barrage of ice crystals at its feet. She was surprised to see it was frozen in place, struggling and failing to break free.

"Sora, ice attacks work on it!" Aqua said. "If we can freeze it in place, I might be able to destroy it with this new attack I've been practicing.

Although it was stuck, the Heartless continued to shoot at the pair.

Standing on one of the chairs, Zurg laughed as he watched the heroes struggle.

"It's no use!" he bragged. "Nothing can defeat us!"

"Think again, Zurg!" a voice called out.

The emperor looked up to see Buzz Lightyear diving towards him. Buzz pushed the tyrant off the chair and against the ground, breaking off pieces of the wooden floor.

Zurg held out his hand. "Wait, Buzz!"

Buzz hesitated.

"There's something you need to know," Zurg informed him. "I am your father."

The space ranger stared in shock, and looked up at the ceiling. "NOOOOOOOO!"

Sora froze the last of the robots' joints. "Go for it, Aqua!"

Aqua threw her black Keyblade at the Heartless, the weapon on fire. It curved up, slicing the Heartless in half. She caught it when it flew back towards her. The Heartless slowly faded away, and a huge heart was released from its body.

Sora held his chin. "Normally, a huge Heartless means there's a Keyhole nearby."

Noticing something behind her, Aqua turned to Sora.

"Sora?" she asked.

"Aqua, I don't know why the huge Heartless is always around it," he said.

She shook her head. "No, Sora, I'm trying to-"

"Listen, I know you're my master and everything, but I have more experience in finding these things," Sora explained. "So just let me-"

"THERE'S A HUGE KEYHOLE ON THE WALL BEHIND YOU!" Aqua yelled.

Sora rubbed his ears, which were aching in pain. He turned to see the Keyhole there, just as Aqua said.

He nervously rubbed his back. "Sorry about that, Aqua."

Aqua nodded. "It's fine. But from now on, pay attention to me!"

"Otherwise, I'll make you do hundreds of push-ups," she teased with a smile.

Sora laughed, but still felt guilty. Not only was she his mentor, but Aqua was incredibly beautiful. She even had a great personality.

Sora felt like slapping himself. Why was he thinking about Aqua? He couldn't be ATTRACTED to her, could he? Though who could blame him, with those gorgeous eyes, that perfect hair, and that pretty face…

He really needed to stop. Kairi was his girlfriend, and being attracted to Aqua would be disloyal and unfair. Focusing on the situation, Sora aimed his Keyblade at the Keyhole, sealing it tight.

"There we go," he said to himself. "Now this world can never be destroyed."

He and Aqua exchanged glances as they saw Zurg and Buzz stroll out of the room. The two raced after them, with Woody lagging behind them.

* * *

The Keyblade wielders and toys were all gathered on the bed. Buzz was standing happily next to Zurg.

"So, you're sure you won't cause any more destruction?" Woody asked.

Zurg nodded. "I promised. I just wanted to meet my son so badly."

"Aw, dad," Buzz said as he hugged him.

Sora scratched his head at the sight. "Who would have thought that those two were family?"

Aqua almost sighed. "I think it's sweet. I guess Zurg isn't so bad after all."

"Except when he tried to kill us," Sora muttered.

Aqua giggled at the joke. She really was glad that Sora was her apprentice. Not only was he a pretty good student, but he also had a personality much like her own. The boy was compassionate, caring, and willing to do anything for his friends. Not to mention he had a cute face and amazing blue eyes.

She stopped her train of thought. How could she be thinking about having a relationship with SORA? Not only was he a decade younger than her, but she already loved Terra. Didn't she? Then again, did she really know what love was?

Woody and Buzz approached the pair, reeling Aqua back into the situation at hand.

"Thanks again guys," Woody said. "We couldn't have survived without you."

"Don't mention it," Sora said.

"We're always willing to help," Aqua added.

"Feel free to stop by any time," Buzz told them.

Sora nodded. "We will."

Waving goodbye to their new friends, Aqua and Sora entered their armored forms. The master summoned a portal, and the two soared into it on their Keyblade Riders.


	12. Chapter 12: The Hawaiian Islands

**Kingdom Hearts: Reconnection of Souls**

**Chapter 12: The Hawaiian Islands**

_AN: I'm sure many of you have seen the E3 English trailer for Birth By Sleep. And some of you might be wondering if I'm going to use that secret boss we saw in the video (the one with the blue blades like Xemnas's). Well, I am! And, after discussing stuff with people at KHI again, I've come up with a good theory of WHO that person is. It won't be officially revealed until later on, but I'm gonna start giving clues now. And he will show up in this chapter, so stay tuned!_

Gleaming over the landscape, the sun was fixated in place. It never rose. It never fell. Atop a huge plateau sat a lone figure in black. He brushed back his silver bangs, examining the landscape with his amber eyes. He moved his gaze towards a crossroads, formed by four groups of Keyblades. From his view, the Keyblades blurred together, creating a solid texture resembling gravel.

At the sound of a dark portal opening, the figure smirked underneath his hood.

"I feared you wouldn't come," he remarked.

A slightly shorter man, hunched over in the same outfit, sat next to him. "Fear. What's that emotion like, Xehanort?"

The dark Keyblade wielder turned to his associate. "You mean you don't remember?"

The unknown man nodded. "I do, but I can't experience it for myself. After all, I don't have a heart. I wasn't even SUPPOSED to exist."

"You were a mistake," Xehanort admitted. "On that fateful day, when all my hard work had finally paid off…when I finally got the body I deserved despite my plan being ruined…I never thought you'd be left behind. The concept hadn't even been considered back then."

The mysterious figure laughed. "Some wise master you are. I thought you'd have the foresight to anticipate that."

Xehanort shook his head. "I don't know everything. But I do know this: I need your help."

The other raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Really? You need help from a Nobody like me?"

"Yes," Xehanort said. "We have something in common, you and I."

The enigma sighed. "Kingdom Hearts. How I've waited to access its infinite power…but how can it be done? With Vanitas gone, there's no way to create the X-Blade."

"Don't worry about the specifics for now," the Keyblade Master told him. "If you agree to work with me, I can guarantee you that we'll open Kingdom Hearts."

The mysterious man laughed. "Yes! Together, the universe will be created as we see fit!"

Xehanort glared at him with blazing yellow eyes. "Quiet! Don't be so loud. You don't want HIM to hear us, do you?"

"What, that pointless suit of armor?" the man asked. "I can't fathom why you're so afraid of him. He's as empty as I am."

"He's defeated me before," Xehanort said. "I don't want to risk another confrontation."

The companion stretched out his hands. "So you choose this spot, which happens to be in the world he was born in and still inhabits? Doesn't seem like a smart move to me."

Xehanort narrowed his eyes. "These cloaks will mask our scent, so he shouldn't be able to find us. And don't forget, this world is YOUR birthplace too."

The man was expressionless. "I suppose that makes sense."

Xehanort stood up, and almost summoned a corridor of darkness. Strangely, he lowered his hand and turned to the other person.

"By the way, what name do you go by now?" he asked.

"Well unlike that misguided Organization, Xehanort, I didn't bother adding an X to my new name," the man remarked. "I'm now known as Sinarem."

The silver-haired man smiled, and with a simple hand motion, opened a dark gateway. "This way then, Sinarem."

The new ally smiled, his aged skin nearly cracking as he did. Following Xehanort, he slowly stepped into the portal. Once it faded away, an ancient Keyblade struck the ground where it was. The plateau shook as its owner landed next to it. His helmet gleamed in the sunlight, while his cape slowly twirled in the wind. All his armor was glowing with a fierce red aura.

"_So you're alive after all, Xehanort," _he thought.

Grabbing his weapon, a bright light shone around it as the Gaia Bane transformed into a large vehicle. The being put one foot into it, but stopped._ "No…I can't. I don't have the strength," the being silently admitted. "Traveling to other worlds will only remind me…of them. And those memories are too painful to experience."_

The figure took off his helmet, which would have been a strange sight for most people, for he had no head. Instead there was just empty air. His body was made of metal, not flesh. Reaching into his helmet, he took out something that wasn't made of metal. Something that Terra had always hid in his armor so that he wouldn't lose it. In his glove, he held a small charm, orange and shaped like a star. The sentiment tightly held it, refusing to lose the only piece of his friends that remained. And the only piece that was left of his love…the girl that meant more to him than anyone else…Aqua.

"_Aqua…Ven…" he echoed in his mind. "Your deaths won't be in vain."_

_

* * *

_

Tired and weak, a dark-haired woman was carefully cleaning her living room. Her tan skin was practically sweating from all the work she was doing.

She tilted her head toward an opening in the ceiling. "Lilo!"

The female waited a few seconds, yet heard no response.

"LILO!" she yelled again.

Again, there was mere silence. Infuriated, the woman quickly climbed up the ladder. Sticking her head above the opening, she scanned the bedroom. Strangely, nobody was in there. A note, however, was attached to the bed.

_Nani,_

_I'm going to the beach with Stitch. Be back soon._

_Lilo_

Groaning, the woman climbed down the ladder. "That girl makes me so nervous."

Hearing a chime from the doorbell, Nani approached the front door. She opened it, and quirked an eyebrow at the stranger standing there. His graying hair was tied in a ponytail, while his face was decorated with a scary and an eyepatch. The person's only eye was yellow, which confused her even more. Who had yellow eyes? Was that even natural?

"Hello there," the man said. "Do you know a guy by the name of Emyd?"

Suspiciously looking at the enigma, Nani shook her head. "No, sorry."

She tried closing the door, but the man stuck his foot in, stopping it. "Maybe a description will help you remember. Blonde hair? Blue eyes? Light skin?"

"Sorry, still not ringing a bell," she told him.

He sighed. "Man, another dead end. Oh well, maybe the heartless can make good use of you."

As Nani stared at him in puzzlement, five shadows popped out of the ground. They turned to her, their beady eyes glowing.

"AHHHHHH!" the woman screamed.

Running into her room, Nani locked the door and moved furniture against it. Smiling, Braig walked out of the house.

"Leave her alone," he commanded. "Her reaction brightened my mood. Besides, we still have to find our old friend."

* * *

Underneath a clear sky, palm trees and other plants helped frame a crowded beach, where hundreds of people, young and old, basked in the sun's rays and ocean's water. Casting off their armor and Keyblades, Aqua and Sora browsed around the new world.

"I wonder where we are this time?" the boy asked out loud.

Seeing a group of kids happily playing in the water, Aqua smiled. "Well, at least it looks like the Heartless and Nobodies haven't attacked this place."

Sora crossed his arms. "Trust me, they eventually will. But we'll be ready for them."

The pair began hearing a distant yell. Snapping their heads toward the voice, they summoned their weapons. Aqua peered into the distance with confusion. A small figure, wearing an Elvis costume, was riding a huge wave. The woman noticed its blue skin and fluffy fur, and happiness overtook her. Sora saw this as well, smiling at the sight.

"It's Stitch!" the two exclaimed simultaneously.

Puzzled that they both knew him, Aqua and Sora exchanged glances, until they heard the wave crash against the shore. Stitch, on his surfboard with a little girl, excitedly approached the two. He jumped off and began crawling on the Keyblade wielders.

"Sora! Aqua!" the creature exclaimed.

"Good to see you, Stitch," the master said.

"What are you doing here?" Sora asked. "I thought you were still in Radiant garden."

Aqua glanced at her apprentice in confusion. "Radiant Garden? When I met him, he lived on a space station. Though that was ten years ago."

Stitch jumped off Aqua's shoulder, landing on the sand. The creature kept smiling at them. "Not anymore. This home now."

"Ah, I see," Sora said.

The little girl walked up to them. "Who are these people, Stitch?"

"They're friends!" the creature informed her.

The girl smiled. "Oh, alright then. I'm Lilo."

"Nice to meet you," Aqua replied.

"How do you know, Stitch?" Sora asked.

Lilo petted the experiment. "I adopted him from a pet shop."

Sora smiled. "Oh, I see. You're lucky your owner lives here, Stitch. This place is amazing."

"It sure is!" a familiar voice exclaimed.

Shocked at the voice's tone, Sora whipped around. Upon seeing the man who said it, he narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Demyx?" the boy asked.

The man shook his head. "It's Emyd, now. And how's it going, man?"

Realizing he was friendly, Sora smiled. "Pretty good so far. And yourself?"

"I'm happier than ever!" Emyd declared. "After years of being a Nobody, I can finally feel emotions again."

Lilo and Stitch exchanged glances, not understanding what they meant by a _Nobody_. Emyd, on the other hand, almost drooled at the sight of Sora's companion. She had long blue hair, softly blowing in the breeze. Her body, meanwhile, was the best he'd ever seen. And her face was just gorgeous.

Trying to connect the dots, Emyd smirked at Sora. "So, is she your girlfriend?"

Aqua blushed, while Sora shook his head in denial.

"No!" he replied. "She's my Keyblade Master."

Calm again, Aqua warmly smiled. "My name's Aqua. Nice to meet you."

Emyd kept smirking at her. "You know, I can play the sitar pretty well. Most of the chicks here dig it."

Sora narrowed his eyes, wanting to make Emyd stop hitting on her. Wait a minute…why was he being so defensive of her? She could choose who to be with on her own, right? Maybe he just felt Emyd wasn't her type? Yeah, that had to be it. He couldn't possibly have feelings for someone so much older than him.

Aqua, on the other hand, had a confused expression. Yet she kept tried to smile anyway.

"That's nice, I guess," she said. "But I don't know what I sitar is."

Immediately gaping in shock, Emyd awkwardly scratched his head. "Oh…never mind then."

Behind the bluenette Keyblade Master, ten sniper Nobodies came out of thin air. Grimacing, Aqua summoned Rain Storm, while Sora took out Lionheart.

"We'll take care of them," the brunette stated. "Stitch, get Lilo to safety!"

Before the girl could react, the pet heaved her on his back, scurrying into the forest with her.

Just as Sora prepared to attack, Emyd ran beside him, taking out his sitar. "There's no way I'm missing out on the fun."

Sora smiled at his new ally, and dashed towards them. As they charged their lasers, the boy shielded himself with firaga, knocking one of them down while the rest evaded it.

Demyx smirked. "Fire…please! Water is much more effective!"

The blonde lifted his hands up, knocking the Nobodies into the air with pillars of water. Despite his claim, the creatures were unharmed, their tips glowing as red as an apple. But their lasers didn't fire first. Instead, bright bursts of light rammed into the Nobodies, knocking them against the fluid sand. Sora was smiling, knowing who fired it, but Emyd was confused. He whipped his head at Aqua, seeing the water mistress holding her Keyblade up.

Impressed, the blonde crossed his arms and smiled. "Great job, Aqua! You're skills are amazing."

She modestly shook her head. "Believe me, I'm not the best Keyblade fighter out there."

Sora chuckled. "Then who is?"

"Isn't an obvious?" a male voice called out.

Startled, the three closely studied their surroundings, trying to find the voice's source. Hearing a familiar noise, Emyd turned his head and saw a portal of darkness, blacker than the night, open up from the ground. The blonde's eyes widened at the figure who stepped out. The old ally's attire was different. He wasn't wearing a cloak of the organization, but now wore an indigo outfit with a crimson scarf wrapped around his neck. But the head was just like Emyd remembered it. A flaring yellow eye and eyepatch decorated his face, while his hair was the same as his Nobody's. Braig smiled at Aqua, the scars on his face bending. The Keyblade wielders glared at him.

The dark servant widened his eyes, putting his hand over his chest. "She's talking about her beloved Terra. It's so tragic that he isn't here anymore."

Aqua grinded her teeth at that comment, yet made no move to attack. The Keyblade Master wouldn't give into darkness…especially not at the amusement of this sick man. Emyd, smiled at Braig. Strangely, Sora felt hurt by that comment. As if he didn't WANT Terra to be her beloved. He mentally kicked himself. Aqua was over a decade older than him. There's no way they could be together, right? He wished Kairi were there.

"Xiggy, I see you're finally back," he said. "Or is it just Iggy now?"

Braig laughed. "No, the name's Braig now. And I'm guessing yours is Emyd?"

"I'm surprised you remembered my original name," he remarked.

"Of course!" Braig exclaimed. "After all, we were fairly close."

Emyd nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we were."

"How'd you like to work together again?" Braig asked.

Sora didn't like where this was going. From what he had seen of Emyd, he simply seemed like a guy who wanted a heart and normal life. But he didn't know that much about him. Maybe he joined the organization for other purposes like Xemnas and Xigbar's.

Not understanding his motives, Emyd narrowed his eyes. "Why? We have hearts now. That was our goal and we accomplished it."

"Actually, Emyd, some of the members like Xemnas and myself had _other_ goals," he stated.

The water manipulator still didn't understand. "What are you talking about?"

Groaning, Braig slapped his head. "Do I have to spell this out? We wanted to do more than be complete. We wanted to rule the world!"

Emyd scratched his head. "Why would you want to do that?"

Braig, perplexed by how naïve Emyd was, nearly fell over. "Because I'm selfish and want to control other people. I want the power to change the world as I desire. That is what Xehanort and I are trying to achieve."

The blonde clenched his fists. "So Xehanort's back?"

The gray-haired man smirked. "That's right. And he needs your help."

Braig grimaced to see his former ally enter a fighting stance. Aqua and Sora smiled, glad that he had resisted the offer.

"Well he won't get it!" Emyd declared. "I never wanted to be evil like you guys! All I wanted was a heart! But I guess a control freak like you wouldn't understand that."

"You're right…" Braig admitted.

In a flash of darkness, he summoned his purple rifles, a small heart embedded on each of them. Demyx raised his hand, a swirl of water erupting from it. The liquid formed into a blue sitar. The Keyblade duo, ready to help, summoned their weapons from before. Noticing this, Braig snapped his fingers, causing a swirl of darkness to cover the area. When it faded, Aqua and Sora found themselves floating on a piece of sand, detached and seemingly miles away from the mainland.

"I don't understand why you'd choose OBLIVION!" he yelled.

Emyd became nervous, partially regretting he had picked a fight with Braig. Before he could react, the sniper teleported to a cliff jutting out from a large rock. The guns snapped together like two puzzle pieces, and the Nobody looked down the scope towards the blonde, his eye glowing with anticipation. As he tapped the trigger, bright crystals flew towards Emyd. The water warrior ran away, barely dodging the crystals every time. Just as one was about to take out his eye, Emyd encased himself in a dome of water, shielding himself from Braig's bullets. Yet Braig merely smiled, still keeping his composure.

"You clever boy," he said. "Looks like I'll have to step up the firepower."

In a split-second, the sharpshooter vanished into thin air. Puzzled, Emyd spun around, searching for his opponent. Seeing Braig behind him, the blonde gasped to see darkness swirling around the edge of the guns. A crystal as big as he was blasted into the shield, destroying it and indenting Emyd into the sand. Struggling to get up, the boy got to his feet just as Braig began another onslaught. He soared around the air in circles, firing shots at the blonde as he did. Emyd managed to outrun the attacks, but the trail of lasers was always just inches behind him. Surprisingly, Braig teleported in front of Emyd, and aimed his guns about a foot away from his face. The blonde stopped in his tracks, terrified of his inevitable fate. Smiling sadistically, Braig pulled the triggers.

And nothing happened. Raising an eyebrow, Braig knocked his weapons against each other, wondering if they were jammed. Then, he widened his eyes in realization. Emyd continued cautiously staring at him. The sniper smacked his head.

"Of course I have to reload NOW!" he yelled.

As the phrase left his mouth, the dark servant found himself submerged in water. He narrowed his eyes to see Emyd pushing the liquid, and Braig with it, against the cliff. He continued to smash his enemy against the rock, hoping he'd pass out eventually. But Braig was frustrated, not injured. After being hit against the cliff again, he disappeared in a flash. Wondering where he went, Emyd soon had his answers when the sound of guns clicking echoed from behind him. He whipped around, only to find Braig holding his rifle against his forehead. Before Braig could even touch the trigger, something hit his head and knocked him down. Rubbing his skull, the skilled shooter looked up in shock. A small figure fully covered in red and black armor was pointing the Oblivion Keyblade toward him. Braig narrowed his eyes in confusion, noticing that the suit was structurally identical to Ven's. Another person wearing blue armor landed next to him in a Keyblade Rider.

"It can't be…" he muttered.

Using his free hand, the boy took off his helmet, revealing his blue eyes and brown hair. Braig breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Sora.

"Whew, I thought I was in trouble there!" he exclaimed. "After all, if you were Ven, I'd be pretty worried. Good thing it's just you, kiddo."

Sora smirked confidently, his eyes narrowed. Now holding her Keyblade, Aqua took off her helmet, and had the same confident look. She knew her apprentice could easily handle him. Very few people were capable of taking on a Keyblade wielder.

"It really doesn't matter whether it's me or Ven," the Keyblade wielder claimed. "You can't beat either of us."

Strangely, Braig began to laugh. Sora's expression didn't fade. "As if! And talk about nostalgia. That's the same face he gave me when we worked together. He always was cocky…and evil too!"

The brunette nodded. "You're talking about Vanitas, right?"

Stunned, Braig simply gazed at him. And then he smirked. "So, you DO know about him? Not only that, but you even know his face."

Aqua didn't understand what they were talking about. Was Braig implying that Vanitas looked like Sora? Or was he talking about the expression in general?

"Sora…what's he talking about?"

The pupil turned his head toward her for a moment, unsure of if he should tell her. Seizing the opportunity, Braig sunk into the ground in a pool of darkness. Aqua casted a fire spell toward him, but it only hit the sand.

Emyd shook his head. "What a wacko. I thought Xiggy was a nice guy. Guess I was way off."

"Forget about him," Aqua told them. "We'll finish him later. Right now, we have to find Lilo and Stitch. I think they ran in the forest."

As she began to walk towards the dense field of trees, Emyd blocked her path.

"You mind if I come along?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Not at all. Thanks."

* * *

Panting and out of breath, Stitch and Lilo lied down on the hard floor of the forest.

"I think we're safe here," Lilo said.

Stitch nodded, and noticed something moving in the bushes. Looking more closely, he saw a shadow running towards Lilo from behind. Panicking, Stitch ripped off a tree branch and threw it at the creature. It directly it the monster, instantly destroying the creature, but it also swung against Lilo's head, knocking the girl down on her face. Filled with guilt and fear, Stitch rushed over to her.

"Lilo!" he cried out.

The girl moaned a bit. No matter how much the creature shook her, she wouldn't open her eyes or move. Stitch, realized she was unconscious. His ears hung low, and he sat on the ground.

"What have I done?" he asked himself.

Who was Stitch kidding? He was experiment 626, a creature DESIGNED for destruction. Yet he didn't want to be that anymore. He wanted to be kind…peaceful…normal. But, he was starting to realize he couldn't be that.

Hearing more noise coming from the bush, Stitch turned around. Two creatures, one with four eyes and the other only having one, crawled out. Stitch completely recognized the one with extra eyes.

"Jumba," he said.

The scientist smiled. "Ah, so you DO remember me, experiment 626."

The creature nodded, and looked at his associate.

"Oh, this is Pleakley, a galactic officer," Jumba explained. "We're here to bring you home, 626."

"But, Stitch IS home," he said.

Pleakley crossed his arms. "Why would anyone want to make THIS planet their home?"

Stitch growled, easily intimidating Pleakley. His creator Jumba then noticed the girl next to him.

"Ah, I think I understand," the scientist said. "You've bonded with this girl, haven't you?"

Stitch shook his head vertically. "She's y friend...my family."

Jumba widened his eyes. "I see. What happened to her, anyway?"

The dog-like creature twiddled his thumbs. "I accidentally hurt her."

The genius wrapped an arm around Stitch. "Don't you see? This is why you cannot have family. You only cause destruction."

"Who would want something like that in their family?" Pleakley asked.

The experiment sadly nodded, thinking they were right. "Stitch will go with you."

Jumba smiled, only to have it fade at the sound of a gun clicking.

"No you won't," a deep voice said.

The three turned around to see a whale-like creature standing on two legs, aiming a brightly colored pistol.

Stitch snarled. "Gantu!"

The soldier began blasting nets at the creature, but it dodged all of them. Instead, the captain only ended up capturing Pleakley and Jumba. Dashing into the forest, Stitch easily escaped. Gantu growled.

"That little runt," he muttered. "I may not have the abomination, but I did have other orders…"

He turned to the two captured aliens. "You two are coming with me."

"What is the meaning of this?" Jumba yelled.

The whale-man hauled them over his back. "I'm under specific orders from to bring both you and the experiment back. I've already been demoted once. I will not lose my rank again!"

Once the captain had disappeared into the woods, a black car pulled into the clear. A large and well-built man wearing sunglasses stepped out of the car, looking at Lilo with pity.

"Poor girl," he muttered.

Softly placing her in his car, the man quickly drove away.

* * *

When he had journeyed throughout the worlds, Riku noticed how strange some of their structures were. A perfect example was Yen Sid's tower, sitting on a piece of land that magically floated in the air. He and Mickey calmly approached the building, the boy examining the surroundings as they did. Although he had been hiding it, Riku was wondering how Sora was doing. The silver-haired warrior wondered how his friend's power compared with Aqua's. Back in Twilight Town, he said that Aqua was stronger than Sora. But now, he wasn't sure. At first sight, the girl didn't LOOK that strong. Looks could be deceiving though. Sora appeared to be a scrawny kid, but he was a formidable foe with his Keyblade.

"So I'm guessing he stays in that tower?" the human asked.

The mouse nodded. "Yep. It's been his home for most of his life."

"Mickey…how powerful is Aqua?" the boy asked.

The Keyblade Master looked up in surprise. He hadn't expected a question like that. In fact, Riku didn't seem to talk about Aqua much.

"She's an incredible warrior," he remarked. "Much stronger than I'll ever be."

The boy raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yep," he said. "And she's amazing with magic. Almost better than Master Yen Sid."

The boy crossed his arms. "I guess I should have shown more respect toward her."

He felt a gloved hand rest on his shoulder, and glanced down to see Mickey smiling at him. "It's okay. She's a nice person. I doubt she'll hold it against you."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," he agreed.

Riku noticed cuts and gashes engraved in the tower's door. He smirked at his friend. "Looks like you had a few training accidents."

Mickey shook his head. "Nope. I've never even seen those before."

The pair's confusion only grew when six dragoons popped out of nothingness.

"We'll each take three," Riku said.

Mickey ran toward the group in front of them, his golden Keyblade clashing against their white spears. With a quick twirl of his hand, the King disarmed one opponent, and rolled under him as the other two slashed towards him. Instead of hitting the midget, they cut their Nobody ally, making him fade away. Standing up in his fighting stance, Mickey aimed his Keyblade, bombarding the pair with blinding orbs of light. Their bodies and spears fell next to each other, quickly vanishing in darkness.

Riku calmly stood in the middle of his three enemies. After a moment of immobility, one dragoon charged at him, spinning its spears. Riku summoned a shield of darkness, knocking it back. While the shield was still up, a Nobody behind him dashed toward the boy, aiming for his neck. Riku turned in time to block the spear with his Way to Dawn Keyblade, and pressed past the weapon to stab the creature's head. The monster fell, and the other two shot their spears toward the boy. Widening his eyes, Riku slammed on to the floor, barely avoiding them. He stood up, a faint black aura around him. Holding out his hands, Riku shot two dark firagas at the monsters, directly hitting each of them. The fire consumed them before they could even fade away.

The boy's associate ran next to him. "Great job, Riku! Now we have to get into that tower. Yen Sid could be in serious trouble."

As Mickey ran towards the tower, Riku promptly followed. Yet he couldn't shake the feeling that the wizard wasn't there.

* * *

Holding a broom, Nani nervously waited in front of the door. At any moment, those creatures could come in and attack her. But she wasn't going down without a fight. Suddenly, something knocked at the door.

"Get away!" she yelled. "There's no way you're getting in!"

She regretted that statement as something began kicking the door, slowly breaking it apart. Finally, a huge leg smashed through the upper half of the entrance. Expecting a monster, the woman widened her eyes in shock to see a large man in a suit and sunglasses.

"A-Agent Cobra!" Nani stuttered.

Still silent, he pushed the furniture away and climbed in. "I see you've done some redecorating."

Nani shook her head. "It's not what it looks like. This man showed up and these-"

"I could care less about why you're locked up in this room," he stated. "But while you were in here, Lilo was out there, passed out in the forest."

He held up his arms, revealing the girl. Nearly crying, Nani grabbed her baby sister.

"Lilo…" she softly spoke.

Cobra kept staring at her. "I'll come tomorrow to take Lilo away. Clearly you're not responsible enough to be left in charge of her. Hopefully we'll find someone who IS."

The man left, and Nani sat down, crying as she held Lilo. Slowly fluttering her eyes, Lilo woke up.

"Nani?" she asked in confusion.

"Lilo!" her sister exclaimed. "Thank goodness you're not hurt. You have to stop going out there like that!"

The young girl frowned. "I'm sorry, Nani."

The woman sighed. "It doesn't matter. Cobra doesn't think I'm fit to be a guardian, so he's going to come tomorrow to take you to a more suitable one."

"WHAT?" Lilo screamed. "No! I don't WANT to leave! I want to stay here, with you and Stitch!"

Her eyes somehow grew even wider. "STITCH! I forgot about him! He's out there in the jungle still. We need to help him, Nani!"

The woman nodded. "Okay, fine."

The girls ran out of their house, only to find two small black creatures attacking Cobra and his car. The vehicle already looked destroyed, with the front completely ripped off and its engine heavily scratched.

"Get away you beasts!" he yelled.

He kicked them both at full force, turning them into black wisps. The girls rushed next to him.

"What WERE those things?" Nani yelled.

"They're called the Heartless," he informed them. "They're evil creatures of darkness. I never thought I'd see them again."

"Quick, we have to find Stitch!" Lilo exclaimed.

Cobra raised an eyebrow. "Who's Stitch?"

As Lilo opened her mouth to answer, she heard gun fire in the distance. Turning her head, the girl saw Stitch running from something. A gray monster with two bags hanging over his back came out from behind the tree, his eyes angry. After dodging one of his green laser blasts, the experiment quickly turned on his heels and dashed into the forest.

"Get back here you abomination!" Gantu commanded.

As he followed Stitch, Lilo did likewise, with Cobra and Nani running behind her.

* * *

Sweating from the heat and exercise, Aqua felt beads of water slide off her forehead as she finished off the hundredth Nobody she had encountered.

"Man, these things ARE tough."

Sora was laying on the ground, panting from exhaustion. "I can't believe how many of these things there are. And the heat doesn't help."

Emyd ignored the sweat, easily used to how hot the islands could get. "Trust me, this isn't hot compared to how high the temperature is most of the time."

A few yards away, Aqua saw Stitch sprinting through the bushes. She widened her eyes at the sight of his pursuer.

"Gantu," she muttered.

Emyd raised an eyebrow? "What's that, Aqua?"

She glanced toward the other two. "Quick, follow me! I just saw Stitch."

The three went into the woods, barely cutting off Lilo, Nani and Cobra. Sora glanced at the girl, smiling.

"Don't worry, Lilo!" he assured her. "We'll find him."

Even with that promise, Lilo kept running, as did the two adults behind her.

* * *

Stitch was relieved to find himself on the beach. He turned around, and cocked his head to see a mob of people rushing towards him. Gantu stopped in front of the pet, smiling. Yet his confidence withered into rage when Aqua stepped between them.

"Gantu," she said.

"Get us out of here!" Pleakley begged from inside the net.

Aqua looked at the voice's source in shock. Gantu was KIDNAPPING people?

"Shut up!" the captain ordered.

"Let those captives go, Gantu!" the girl demanded.

The beast growled. "Stay out of this, girl! This doesn't concern you."

She summoned Rain Storm without hesitation, glancing at Stitch for a moment. "When you're trying to hurt my friend, it's obviously my concern!"

"I wouldn't worry about him too much," a man yelled out.

At first curious as to where the voice came from, Aqua became angry at the sight of Braig floating in midair. Her hand tightened around the Keyblade, as if she was trying to snap it in half. But she couldn't help herself. The man simply infuriated her. And she had to be on guard with him. His teleporting powers made him an unpredictable foe.

"Sorry, but I can't let you team up on this poor guy," Braig ordered. "He needs a bit of backup."

And then she heard it. A portal of darkness was opening. She turned to see who it was, and gasped at the sight. A hooded man stepped out, his back slightly hunched.

Sora raised an eyebrow. "An Organization member? It can't be."

Aqua kept her gaze locked. It couldn't be him. There was no way. And as if the coat wasn't evidence enough, the man took out two blue blades, each rather small and easily fitting in his hands.

"This…this isn't possible!" Aqua yelled.

Sora looked at her in confusion. "Aqua, what's wrong?"

She glared at the humans nearby. "You three have to leave here! Get somewhere safe!"

As she panicked, Sora was growing fearful too. Why was she so scared of this person? How powerful could he be? And…were his eyes deceiving him…or was this man SMILING underneath his hood.

"Hello there, Master Aqua," he greeted in a raspy voice. "It's good to see you again."

Again. As clear as a cloudless sky, Aqua could remember their first encounter.

* * *

_Holding Ven on her back, Aqua looked in horror at her ruined world. The castle was destroyed, and a huge chunk of land was broken off. Seeing Eraqus's Keyblade, she sadly picked it up. And tears poured from her eyes, for the black weapon was proof that her master had fallen. But she wouldn't believe it. She wouldn't believe that the WHOLE world was destroyed. There was one spot she wanted to see. Walking for what seemed like miles in the mountains, Aqua finally smiled. The courtyard, where she, Terra, and Ven hung out for most of their time together, was still intact. She laid Ven down next to the small bridge._

"_I'll be right back," she said, as if he could somehow hear her._

_Walking over the tiny stream, Aqua happily approached her benches. But her joy turned into suspicion upon seeing a man in black. He was just standing there, like he was waiting for something. Slowly, he turned around, his arms crossed behind his back. And something about him terrified her. As if, this man had no emotion, no heart. As if he were the embodiment of emptiness._

"_I thought you'd come here," he said._

_She twitched, not expecting his voice to be so raspy. He sounded very old. And somehow…very familiar. Like she had heard that voice somewhere before._

"_Who are you?" she asked._

"_An empty vessel," he responded._

_She glared at him. "I wasn't asking WHAT. Tell me your name."_

_He lowered his hands. "My name…my true name…belongs to someone else now."_

"_Stop talking in riddles!" she yelled._

_He sighed. "You don't know how lucky you have it. You actually have a heart."_

_She narrowed her eyes. "W-What?"_

_He raised a lone hand. "And to be complete, I need to take it from you. You're too much of a threat anyway."_

_In a burst of electricity, glowing blue blades appeared in his hands out of small orbs of darkness._

_The girl narrowed her eyes, summoning Rain Storm. "Fine. If you want a fight, then let's get it over with!"_

_Silent, the man dashed at her. Aqua widened her eyes. He was so swift! How could anyone run that fast? As she formed her reflect shield, the bluenette found that his hands were as quick as his feet. The unknown swung his blades in so many directions that the movements became a blur. Her shield was cracking, and within seconds it broke. She gasped in shock. Her opponents rarely broke her reflect shield, especially with a mere melee attack._

_The buzz of his blades snapped her out of that thought process. She barely avoided them and cart-wheeled back. Aiming his hands at her, the Nobody blasted a bright beam at her. It bended, attaching itself to her waist. Suddenly, Aqua felt herself floating off the ground. A mysterious force threw her into the air, and she was suspended in place. She looked to the right in horror, as the opponent began slashing her side. Crying out in pain, Aqua smashed her Keyblade against his head, knocking him down and stopping the mysterious force. The Keyblade Master's butt made contact with the grass. She stood up, quickly casting curaga on herself. She gritted her teeth as the enemy quickly leapt to his feet. As he ran toward her, his blades began rotating, until they turned into cerulean blurs._

_Tired of being defensive, Aqua held up her Keyblade, entering her ghost drive command style, her body faintly giving off a white aura. If this guy was gonna use speed, she may as well use it too. Aqua's movements became faded. As she ran, duplicate still images of herself were left behind. She started running around the figure, disorienting him. Choosing the moment to strike, Aqua quickly stabbed his back with her Keyblade._

_The man groaned, but his stance didn't falter. And Aqua wasn't finished. She circled around him again. The man, threw out his blade, hoping she would run into it. But just before she made contact, the Keyblade warrior stopped in place, raising her Keyblade high and creating a huge explosion from underneath the warrior._

_He flew into the air, falling towards the hard ground. Yet he landed on his feet. Aqua was stunned. How could he have the endurance to survive that?_

_There wasn't time to ponder over it though. The man was crouching, entering his battle stance yet again. But as tired as she felt, Aqua wouldn't give up. She had to deal with this man and bring Ven back to the castle. The man raised his hands, and Aqua readied her own graviga spell to counter his gravity manipulation. But her feet never left the ground. Though she heard something cracking. Turning around, she fearfully saw a large rock tipping towards her. Sprinting out of the way, Aqua barely made it past the structure._

_She turned around, glaring at the enigma. But he wasn't interested in the staring contest. In fact, he was already running towards her, just a few yards away and prepared to slicer her head in half. He swung one blade, and she knocked it out of his hand. The weapon fell into the water. Without hesitation, the man swung his other blade towards her, only to have the girl block it with her Keyblade. The two pressed their weapons against each other, neither one gaining the edge. Aqua focused on his face, trying to see who he was. But the upper half was concealed. All she could see was a white goatee, though underneath the hood's darkness, it was hard to say whether it was gray or white._

_Still silent, the man thrusted his unarmed hand toward her, knocking the wind out of her with some sort of gravitational force. She slid back, her body falling off the cliff. But at the last second, she dug her Keyblade into the rock. Using it as a lever, she flipped into the air and landed back on the grass._

_Fed up, Aqua aimed her metallic weapon at him. She glanced at his disarmed blade, and returned her attention to him._

"_Aren't you going to get that?" she taunted._

_If he made the slightest move, she'd attack him on the spot._

_Shrugging, the cloaked man held out his hand, and using some invisible force, reeled the blade back into his hand._

_She grimaced. "Figures."_

_Strangely, he put away the weapons. Aqua, seeing that he no longer wished to battle, did likewise._

"_Well done!" he commended her._

_But the compliment didn't mean anything. In fact, the words felt hollow…emotionless even._

"_I've changed my mind," he stated. "If you escaped Xehanort's grasp, then that's his problem. Besides, it would be a waste to eliminate your talent. I don't need a heart anyway."_

_He glanced over at Ven, whose presence he was aware of the entire time. "After all, if I started to become attached to weaklings like him, I wouldn't be able to live with myself."_

_She growled. "How DARE you call him a weakling? How could you even know his strength?"_

"_Because I've known him before," he explained. "When I was…a different man."_

_Darkness entirely shrouded him, and the figure disappeared without a trace. She put away her Keyblade. The physical encounter was over, but her mental struggle continued. Who was that man…and why did it seem like she met him before?_

_

* * *

_

The bluenette kept staring at him. "So, you want a rematch?"

He chuckled. "Rematch? Dear girl, our battle never really ended. A true fight doesn't end until there's a victor, and I'd say our duel was a tie."

Sora clenched his fist. "I'll help you, Aqua. This guy is getting on my nerves."

She shook her head. "No. You, Emyd, and Stitch have to focus on Gantu and free those captives. I'll deal with him myself."

"Ding-ding-ding!" Braig exclaimed. "Round 1, begin!"

With that, the sniper disappeared into darkness. Aqua and the mysterious enemy dashed towards each other, their blades colliding. Meanwhile, Stitch and Sora ran towards Gantu. The brunette stopped, realizing that Emyd wasn't following them.

"Hey, aren't you coming?" the boy asked.

The blonde shook his head. "Sorry, I'm too wiped out from fighting all those Nobodies."

Nodding with understanding, Sora focused on the whale creature. He sprinted towards Gantu, easily blocking his blasts with quick reflect spells. The boy cast a thunder spell, striking the whale on its head.

"Ah! Why you-" the soldier said.

Before he could finish, Sora continued casting his electricity spell, until the creature was lying on the ground. Panting, Sora sat down.

"Whew!" he exclaimed. "He doesn't go down easy."

Disappointing the boy, Gantu stood back up. His eyes became turquoise slits.

"You'll pay for that, child!" the alien declared.

As he raise his hand, he found his blaster gone.

"What?" he asked in puzzlement.

"Hey Gantu!" a voice called out.

His eyes still filled with shock, Gantu whipped around. Stitch was holding Gantu's blaster, aiming it at him.

"Take this!" the creature explaining.

The dog-like being started firing a barrage of lasers. The captain tried to avoid them, but he was too big. The majority of the shots hit him, knocking him down as steam poured off the burned parts of his skin. Sora gave Stitch a high five, both of them smiling.

"Nice job!" the brunette exclaimed.

Holding off on the celebration, the two focused on Aqua. Their movements were as fast as lightning, and their clashes as loud as thunder. All the boy could do was watch in awe at his master fight him. Suddenly, something was wrong. Aqua found herself floating ten feet off the ground after missing a strike. Flailing her arms and legs, the girl struggled to get down, but it was futile.

Smiling, the opponent pointed his hands away from her and toward the sea. Realizing what he was attempting, the bluenette cast graviga on herself, trying to push herself in the opposite direction. But it was futile. Even for a master of magic like herself, Aqua's manipulation of gravity was far exceeded by his.

As he lowered his hands, the girl flew into the water, head first. She held her breath, refusing to drown. But she'd need air eventually, and when she did, her death would finally come. A joke about not having gills came to mind, but he didn't say it. He didn't really taunt his opponents.

His smile turned upside down when something stabbed his side. Aqua, free of the spell, emerged from the water and swam back to the shore. The Nobody crouched down, gazing up to see Sora holding his Oblivion Keyblade. He stood up, glaring at the boy. Yet his face was still hidden. They didn't see the rage in his eyes or the cruel expression forming at the front of his head. But these emotions weren't real. They were all fake, just like any Nobody's. Yet the question remained: how could he allow such an insignificant pest injure him?

"You'll pay for that, boy," he warned.

Hearing the sound of metal boots, he glanced left and saw Aqua stepping next to Sora. Rather than raise his weapon, the man opened a portal of darkness.

"It looks like we'll have to settle this later," he remarked. "I'd rather not hurt the boy. He's still part of Xehanort's plan."

"Xehanort?" Sora asked. "Where is he?"

"Calm down," the elder said. "You'll run into him eventually."

Aqua wasn't even angry anymore. She just felt…confused. This man knew Xehanort and seemed so familiar, yet she couldn't figure out who he was. She needed another clue. A name, a face, something that could further indicate his true identity.

"I'll ask once more," she said. "Who are you?"

"Sinarem," the man stated. "That's the name I go by now."

Aqua and Sora didn't attack. They simply stood there, and remained ready to strike until he disappeared in darkness. When he was gone, the two reunited with Stitch, and saw the humans come out from the bushes.

Nani pointed to their weapons. "What are THOSE anyway?"

"These are Keyblades," Sora answered. "They're like swords, except they have special powers. Like the ability to protect worlds from these monsters called the Heartless."

Suddenly, the group heard an engine roaring, and turned to see an alien spacecraft landing on the water. Out of it stepped two aliens resembling dinosaurs. In between them, a tall, blue alien with a large forehead stepped forward. When Aqua recognized her, a smile formed on her lips.

"Grand councilwoman," Aqua greeted. "It's been a long time."

"It certainly has, Aqua," the alien agreed. "And you've fully grown."

"Uh, a little help over here?" a voice cried out from one of the nets.

"Pleakley?" the female alien asked. "Is that you?"

"Yes, and I'm claustrophobic, so I'd appreciate it if you let me out!" he complained.

The alien leader motioned toward the nets, and her two soldiers freed Jumba and Pleakley.

She glared down at Captain Gantu, who was groaning as he struggled to get up.

"Captain, for failing your mission and disobeying my orders about peacefully securing Pleakley and Jumba, you are stripped of your rank," she decreed.

The whale-like creature sighed. "Fine. I was sick of chasing this abomination. I'm fine with being a lieutenant."

"Corporal," the woman corrected.

"C-Corporal?" he yelled. "B-But why?

"Because you made two errors in your mission," she explained.

The alien groaned, lying down on the sand. Aqua and Sora tried not to giggle at the creature's discomfort. As the woman approached them, their expressions turned serious. But she didn't step up to them. Instead, she approached Stitch.

"You've been gone a long time, experiment 626," she said.

Guiltily, the creature nodded.

"You are a dangerous being," she said. "If left unchecked, you could devastated entire worlds."

His ears lowered at that comment. Stitch hated being reminded of his destructive nature.

"But," the woman said. "From all reports I've gathered, you've been fighting the Heartless and other cruel beings of darkness. For that, you have my thanks."

Stitch smiled, glad she appreciated him for something.

"Thus, I'd like to welcome you back, as a soldier in my organization: the United Intergalactic Federation," she offered.

"Thanks, but Stitch isn't interested," the dog-like being politely declined.

She blinked twice, wondering if she heard him wrong. "W-What? Why not?"

The pet walked over to Lilo, holding the girl's hand. With his other paw, he held Nani's. All three of them were genuinely smiling, happier than they had ever been.

"This is my Ohana," he told her.

"Ohana?" she inquired.

He smirked, realizing the woman didn't understand. "Ohana means family. Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten."

Expressionless, the alien nodded. And surprisingly, she grinned a bit. The experiment everyone was afraid…the creature that could threaten entire worlds…just wanted a family. "I see. In that case, I will let you stay here, as long as your family ensures you stay out of trouble."

"They will," Cobra announced.

Nani raised an eyebrow. "They?"

"I misjudged you," he admitted. "I didn't realize the Heartless or the other strange beings were involved with this. That completely changes the situation. You can keep taking care of Lilo. Though I'll be checking on you guys monthly."

She held back her tears. "Thank you so much, Agent Cobra."

Sora and Aqua couldn't help but look at the happy scene.

"Looks like everything worked out," he said. "Everyone's okay now."

Hearing the roar of engines again, Sora turned to see the ship zip into the air and vanish within seconds. When he lowered his gaze to the beach, he noticed something in the distance. A body…a girl actually, was lying on the sand. Sprinting towards her, he turned the woman over to get a better look. But just from the clothes, he already knew who it was. The face confirmed his fearful suspicion though. It was Kairi, wearing her trademark pink outfit.

"No," he said to himself. "Kairi, get up!"

* * *

Disoriented and tired, a redhead girl fluttered open her eyes. She found herself in an unfamiliar room, yet the plants outside resembled those of the island. She rubbed her head, trying to remember what had happen. Then it hit her. She remembered everything. Fighting the Heartless, trying to save Selphie, falling into darkness…but how did she end up HERE? Where was she anyway?

"Kairi!" a cheerful voice exclaimed. Rotating her head, Kairi smiled to see Sora standing in front of the couch.

"Sora," she said. The two sat on the couch and embraced each other.

He broke the hug, still looking worried.

"What happened?" he asked. "Why are you here?"

"I'm sorry, Sora," she apologized. "The Heartless showed up on the island, and they attacked everyone. I tried to save the islands, but just couldn't do it."

No longer looking at the floor, Kairi raised her head. Sora lowered his eyelids, taking in what was happening. Suddenly, Kairi saw a woman put her hand on Sora's shoulder.

"I know how it hurts, Sora," she said. "My homeworld was destroyed by darkness too."

Kairi felt a strange vibe from this woman. Like she knew her from somewhere. In her heart, she felt they shared a connection. Yet she suspiciously narrowed her gaze anyway. "I'm sorry, but, have we met?"

Aqua chuckled. "Well, once, a very long time ago. My name's Aqua. I'm a Keyblade Master. You sure have grown, Kairi."

Before she could ask how they met, the teenager immediately remembered her.

"I-I met you in Radiant Garden," she remarked.

Aqua nodded. "That's right."

Sighing, Sora raised his head. "I don't understand. How did the islands fall to darkness?"

"Well, I was trying to save Selphie from Maleficent, but ended up unlocking the door to our world's heart," the redhead said.

"YOU WHAT?" Sora yelled.

"It was an accident, Sora!" the girl exclaimed. "Besides, you guys didn't even lock the door before you left. I had to do it."

"Oh great," the boy snidely said. "You lock the door, and then you unlock it! That makes sense!"

Kairi gaped at him. Why was he so angry? "Sora, if you locked it in the first place, we wouldn't even have this problem!"

"Yes we would!" he snapped. "Don't you understand? Even if I locked it, you would have still unlocked it anyway. Come on, Kairi! What possessed you to do that?"

"I told you, Selphie was in trouble," she explained. "I thought Maleficent was hiding her behind the door."

"How could she if the door was LOCKED to begin with?" the boy screamed.

Kairi stopped talking. She couldn't come up with an answer. "I screwed up, okay. I didn't WANT the islands to be destroyed. And why did you leave me behind in the first place?"

"Because, I had to save these people," the wielder said. "Aqua's alright, but her friends are still in trouble!"

"But why do YOU have to do it?" Kairi inquired. "You're not the only one the Keyblade chose. Why couldn't Riku go on this quest instead? Why did it have to be you?"

"Riku DID go on this quest!" Sora exclaimed.

"Well why couldn't I?" Kairi asked.

Sora gritted his teeth. "Because, I thought you'd be in danger if you did!"

She groaned. "Well I was in danger ANYWAY! I was almost destroyed by the Heartless and Maleficent. Do you even care about me, Sora?"

"Of course I do!" he protested.

"Then why do you always leave me behind?" she asked. "Why do you leave me on a world that's in danger without you there protecting it? Don't you understand that I'm safer when you're with me?"

"You wouldn't be any safer traveling with me, Kairi," he argued.

"That's completely false!" she yelled. "Traveling with you would mean I have a Keyblade wielder's protection. The Keyblade…the thing that Heartless fear most!"

"And what attracts them most!" he countered. "What if during one of our battles, a Heartless got past me and hurt you?"

"I can defend myself," Kairi said. "I'd just destroy it."

He crossed his arms, smirking. "Then why do you need me to guard you in the first place?"

"Because you're stronger than me," she admitted. "And it's not just that. I want to actually BE with you, Sora. What kind of boyfriend ditches his girlfriend a few days after they start dating?"

Sora glared. "The kind of boyfriend who's trying to save the world. Remember those two bad guys with white hair, Kairi? Well the guy who they originally were, Xehanort, is BACK! I need to protect these worlds from him. All those lives are equally important."

"Both of you calm down!" Aqua demanded.

Silent, the teenagers looked at her.

"You're going to wake up Nani and Lilo if you keep jabbering like this!" she explained.

Kairi felt her eyes get watery as she looked at her boyfriend. "So, I don't mean more to you than anyone else?"

"No, that's not what I meant!" he said. "You do mean a lot, but I have to focus on other people right now. Argh, why are you making this so complicated?"

"Well if it's that complicated for you, let's just end it," Kairi said.

Aqua nearly gaped. Sora's face grew sad. "Kairi…I…I didn't mean that."

"I know," she said. "But it's for the best."

He swallowed his sorrow. "Fine. Have it your way. This relationship is finished."

Once he was out of sight, Kairi buried her head in her pillow, tears streaking her face. Sitting next to her, Aqua softly held the girl.

"I thought I loved him, Aqua," she sobbed. "But I just don't know anymore."

"I understand what you're saying, Kairi," the woman answered. "I've been confused about this emotion too."

Lifting her head up, Kairi's eyes were filled with fierce determination. "I need to grow stronger. Teach me what you know about the Keyblade."

Aqua raised her eyebrows. She was gonna have TWO apprentices? Then again, Eraqus had three. How tough could handling two be, even if they were friends now on bad terms.

"Very well then," the bluenette said. "Kneel, please."

Kairi went on her knees, the tears slowly stopping.

* * *

Sighing, Sora gazed out into the stars. He felt bad for yelling at Kairi. It wasn't her fault that the island had been destroyed. She didn't fill it with darkness. That hag Maleficent was the cause. Strangely, he noticed something in the sky. A bright star was dimming. Suddenly, it was gone.

"The stars are going out," he said to himself. "So the worlds are already falling to darkness."

But he couldn't let this one be destroyed. He leaned against the railing, trying to think of where the Keyhole might be. Then, he noticed the house's door. It's keyhole seemed to contrast with the doorknob, as if it wasn't supposed to be there. Taking a chance, Sora blasted a beam of light into the opening. It made a locking sound, indicating that he had indeed sealed it.

Suddenly, the two girls emerged from the door. Sora guiltily looked at Kairi.

"Kairi, I feel terrible about what I said," he said. "I didn't mean to yell at you. It wasn't your fault for what happened to our home. Maleficent filled it with darkness, not you."

The girl nodded. "Thanks. And I'm sorry about what I said too. I shouldn't have been so harsh."

He extended his hand. "Friends?"

The girl smiled, accepting the gesture. "Friends."

Sora turned to Aqua. "So, what should we do with her?"

"Oh, don't worry," the bluenette assured him. "She's coming with us?"

He stared in disbelief. "What?"

Then he noticed what was on her shoulder. A purple piece of armor, similar to Aqua's. Smashing it with her hand, a bright light enveloped Kairi, replacing her appearance with that of an armored purple suit. The body was similar to Aqua's, as was the helmet. Except Kairi's leggings had less armor, and her helmet's two prongs were curved horizontally rather than vertically. She summoned a black Keyblade, the same one Sora had seen Aqua once use when he found her.

"How?" Sora asked.

"I wasn't sure if it would work, but my master's Keyblade accepted Kairi as its new owner," the woman announced. "And, using a simple magic spell, I altered my master's armor so that it would be more colorful and fit her shoulder. The Keyblade also has the ability to summon its counterpart armor. So even though it's all the way in Castle Oblivion, I brought it here using his weapon."

Sora felt a bit uneasy about this. He was teenage with hormones, and now he was gonna be traveling with two attractive girls all the time. Deep in his gut, he knew he'd start having temptation. But he hid all this preoccupation behind a smile. For now, things were peaceful, and he should be thankful for that.


	13. Chapter 13: Broken Dominion

**Kingdom Hearts: Reconnection of Souls**

**Chapter 13: Desecrated Dominion**

_AN: Sorry it's been so long since the last update (again). BUT my college apps are done, so I'll be updating at least monthly from here on out. I think this chapter is another step forward in making the story a bit complex. I'm also introducing a new character, one who I think could exist theoretically but has not appeared thus far in the KH series. Also, I have seen the RECODED secret ending, but at this point I can't follow it. It would really just mess up the direction I'm going for. Enjoy this latest chapter!_

"All the pieces are coming together," Xehanort boasted.

He, Braig, and Maleficent were gathered around a wooden table in Ansem's study

Braig smirked. "Yea, except Maleficent let Kairi get away."

The witch glared at him. "You ignorant fool. My orders were to drown the islands in darkness, nothing more."

"Speaking of which, why DID we destroy them anyway?" the eye-patched man inquired. "Was there some purpose for that, or were we just having fun with darkness?"

"Every decision I make has a purpose, Braig," Xehanort told him. "Those islands have a knack for reconnecting friends. Sora and Riku cannot reunite…yet."

"Why would you want them to run into each other eventually?" he asked. "If you ask me though, giving our enemies a chance to team up isn't a smart move."

"Who said Riku would be our adversary?" he asked.

The sniper narrowed his gaze. "Now I'm REALLY lost. What are you getting at?"

"Don't preoccupy yourself with this endeavor," the silver-haired master ordered. "Your sole task is to ensure that Aqua and Sora continue their journey."

"Kairi's with them too," Braig added.

The dark lord chuckled. "I hardly consider Kairi a threat. The girl barely knows how to use a Keyblade."

"But with Aqua as her master, that could change," the sorceress countered.

"Believe me, mastering the Keyblade, TRULY mastering it, takes years of instruction," the muscular warrior stated.

"Well Sora seemed to be pretty powerful despite not having formal training," Braig said.

"His power pales in comparison to that of Aqua and the old Keyblade warriors," Xehanort informed his accomplice. "Xehanort's Heartless and Xemnas were certainly powerful, but neither would be a match for Eraqus or any of his apprentices."

"Speaking of Xemnas…I'm noticing now…your face is the same as his," Braig told him. "Yet your hairstyle and the voice are the same as when you were an apprentice under Ansem."

Xehanort glanced at a mirror near him. "You're right, Braig. And there's a reason for that. My body's age is the same as Xemnas's before he was defeated. You see, if I had never become a Heartless, this is how I would look like anyway, not like Xehanort's Heartless. And Xemnas's voice was different because he had no heart. You see, the body can controls how you look, but the heart can control what you say, even the voice you say it with. As for the clothes, I chose an outfit identical to the one I wore as Master Xehanort."

"There's something else on my mind," Braig said. "Does Terra have any chance of controlling his body now? I mean, you're the only presence in it…right?"

"No, Terra's presence was surged from my body long ago," he replied. "Anything left of him is trapped in that decaying suit of metal."

"What thing are you talking about?" Maleficent asked.

"His lingering spirit," he replied. "A being I hadn't even anticipated the creation of all those years ago."

* * *

_Panting, Master Xehanort stabbed his Keyblade into the ground. Terra slowly approached him, ready to finish him off. Yet Xehanort was in disbelief. Terra wasn't supposed to be this strong. The plan was to have him give into darkness and knock him out for the final move. Instead, it seemed that the one who would be making the last move was the young man. Suddenly, an explosion shook the plateau. Slowly opening his eyes, Xehanort gasped to see a ray of light shooting into the sky._

_He raised his hand, pointing past Terra. "There, you see!"_

_Flinching at first, Terra cautiously turned around, and was shocked to see that the old man was telling the truth._

"_The X-blade has been forged!" Xehanort exclaimed._

_Terra panicked. Even though the elder could be lying, Terra felt he was right. He could sense the dreadful weapon's power. Ven, his friend, the person he had promised to protect…was gone._

"_Ven!" Terra screamed with sorrow._

"_And now, Terra, it is time for the final union!" the old man declared, stabbing his chest as he did._

_Confused by his words, Terra snapped around. "What?"_

"_At last our moment is here," the old master said._

_He extended his hands, watching his Keyblade vanish and a ball of light float above him. "Out with the old and brittle vessel, and in with a younger, stronger, new one."_

_Terra gasped, feeling more fearful than ever before. He didn't know what to expect, or if Xehanort would force the light to home on to him and damage him if he tried to escape._

"_I swore I would survive…and be there to see what awaited beyond the Keyblade War!" the master explained._

_He looked at Terra. "And now, it is your darkness that shall be the ark that sustains me!"_

_With that being said, Xehanort pointed out his arm, throwing the light toward Terra. In an attempt to shield himself, Terra summoned his armor, feeling the light overtake him and quickly turn into darkness. Smiling, MX's discarded body faded away. The armored figure threw off his protective gear, revealing a few changes in his appearance. His skin was tan, his hair was silver, and his eyes were golden orbs very different from Terra._

_Grinning, the man spoke. "His heart belongs again to darkness. All worlds begin in darkness, and all so end. The heart is no different. Darkness sprouts within it…it grows, consumes it. Such is its nature. In the end, every heart returns to the darkness whence it came."_

_The new Xehanort summoned his old, demonic Keyblade. As he walked away, a dome filled with orange chains surrounded the plateau._

"_What?" the reborn warrior asked._

_Xehanort didn't understand. He had never seen anything like this. What could have caused it? The only other thing left was…his armor._

_The Keyblade Master spun around to see the reassembled armor of Terra, kneeling with its Keyblade stabbed in the ground. And for some reason, he could feel the being's rage. As if it were alive. But what could bring it to life? The armor was an inanimate object! Yet the heart was a mystery, as was the mind. And seeing how the suit was staring at him, he could tell it had an identical mind to Terra's. Yet didn't he have control of Terra's mind now? He was moving in his body after all. No, the being's very existence could only mean that Terra's mind was still stubborn…which might even cause problems in the future._

_Xehanort narrowed his eyes at the metallic figure. "Your body submits, your heart succumbs…so why does your MIND resist?"_

_The lingering spirit was silent as it stood up, its gaze fixated on Xehanort. It couldn't speak, yet it didn't need to. Its sole purpose right now was to stop Xehanort. Grabbing his Ends of the Earth, the spirit held out his Keyblade, ready to strike._

_Xehanort covered himself in darkness and dashed toward the spirit. Terra's armor blocked the attack, and stabbed the ground. Yet the shockwave missed Xehanort, and the human dashed into the spirit, knocking it back. Swinging his axe-like Keyblade, Xehanort stepped toward his opponent. The two locked blades, neither one gaining the edge. Covering his fist with darkness, Xehanort punched the chest-plate. Terra's remnant didn't even react, and smacked Xehanort across the face with his rather blunt blade. Xehanort grunted, and the spirit swung his Keyblade again in an attempt to start a combo. Yet the master was ready, and blocked the attack. The spirit began recovering from the vibration caused by his attack, and his hated enemy quickly countered by smashing his Keyblade into the ground. A dark shockwave spread on the ground, knocking the sentiment on its back._

_Holding up his Keyblade, Xehanort summoned huge rocks out of the ground, flinging Terra's remnant into the air. Regaining its balance, the spirit set its sights on Xehanort just as the man began firing a series of dark orbs. The armor held up its Keyblade, reflecting the energy balls directly back at Xehanort. His eyes wide with fear, Xehanort dashed out of the way, barely avoiding the counter. Taking the offensive, Terra's armor covered itself in a shield of thunder, and dashed into Xehanort. The man grunted in pain as electricity spread through his body, and quickly paced away from the sentiment. Xehanort held up his Keyblade, the weapon's tip glowing with a black aura. The sentiment wasn't waiting to find out what Xehanort had planned, and began sprinting. The sentiment swung with all his strength, his blade fiercely glowing yellow…_

…_only to miss Xehanort as the Keyblade Master vanished into thin air. The remnant turned to see Xehanort at the other side of the plateau, as well as about eight chunks of rock rising out of the ground and slowly forming into meteors. He hurled the Keyblade at Xehanort. Smiling, he stepped to the side and dodged the twirling blade. The weapon flew back towards the sentiment with the meteors racing behind it. Once the weapon touched its hand, it transformed into Terra's Keyblade Rider, and the sentiment flew away from the barrage of burning rocks. Realizing that the sentiment was charging toward him, Xehanort dashed out of its path at the last moment. The vehicle once again became a key, and the two faced each other, now mere meters apart._

_Swinging his Keyblade in swirls of darkness, Xehanort swiftly made his way toward the armor. It tried to block the combo, but the vibrations from metal clashing against metal didn't stop Xehanort from attacking. Finally, the sentiment's Keyblade flew out of its hand, and Xehanort slashed right through the metal. He smiled to see the left arm fall off. Yet something wasn't right. It was still moving…toward the rest of the metal in fact. It easily popped back into place, and Terra's sentiment cast Curaga, healing any scratches it had. Xehanort used this chance to heal himself, and understood what had to be done. This sentiment would be able to fight as long as its armor was partly intact. But if he were reduced it to dust, there's no way it could reassemble._

_Xehanort's Keyblade began to morphing, transforming into a cannon resembling Terra's old Keyblade. The hilt-like part began to spin, and the remnant immediately recognized the attack._

"_Sink into darkness!" the thief screamed. He fired the mortar, releasing a slowly moving ball illuminated with red light. Terra's remnant was confused. The attack was different. Suddenly, the sphere exploded, releasing a flood of white energy. Terra's remnant smashed his Keyblade into the ground, summoning a rock to shield him. As the light faded away, a thin wall of crumbling rock stood between Xehanort and the sentiment. Furious, the dark master summoned a slew of meteors. His adversary crouched down, and in an instant, was suddenly behind Xehanort with his blade stretched out. Confused at first, the human suddenly felt a surge of pain in his side. The armor had used Zantetsuken, succeeding in weakening Xehanort. The meteors harmlessly fell down as Xehanort clutched his abdomen. Just as he was about to cast Curaga, Xehanort saw the metal suit launch his Dark Volley attack. He began dashing out of the way as the attack tried to home on to him. After the third dash, he finally evaded all the blasts, only look in horror at the sentiment using his own Keyblade cannon._

_Xehanort couldn't risk letting the attack hit him. He'd be unconscious the moment the blast made contact with his skin. He dashed to the left, and fell off his feet as the sphere behind him exploded. Still lying on the floor, he glanced to see the sentiment fire another one. Barely getting to his feet in time, Xehanort summoned a rocky formation out of the ground. It dissolved the rock into dust, and Xehanort raised his arm to cover his eyes. When he opened them, he saw a third sphere mere inches from his face. Left with no time to cast a spell, Xehanort raised his Keyblade in a defensive stance. And much to his surprise, it worked. The sphere had been bounced back towards the armor. Although he couldn't see the sentiment, Xehanort watched hopefully as the blast exploded against something. As the bright light from the destruction faded, the thief smiled, seeing that there was no sign of Terra. Yet something wasn't right. The crumbling rock wall wasn't there either. Could the blast have taken them both out?_

_Xehanort realized he was wrong about that assumption as a purple hand ascended from the ground, launching him into the air. He glared below to see the sentiment glowing with a dark aura. Ridiculous! Not only did this thing have Terra's abilities, it even had some of his darkness. But Xehanort had that same darkness, and with that in mind. Xehanort dived into the ground. Appearing as a circle of darkness, Xehanort moved underneath the sentiment. Just as he rose from the ground, the armored figure dashed out of the way. Angry, Xehanort landed on the ground, only to see the darkly glowing suit of metal swiftly dash toward him. He hit Xehanort, yet didn't stop moving. In mere seconds, he had rammed into Xehanort nearly a dozen times. Disoriented, Xehanort watched it jump into the air and pound the ground to release a pillar of darkness. Xehanort was knocked back, and felt himself get smacked to the ground by the attack again. As Terra's armor prepared its third strike, Xehanort weakly held up his Keyblade, blocking the attack. The sentiment smashed the ground again, yet this time Xehanort dashed out of the way. With its final attempt, the armor brought down its Keyblade toward Xehanort, the thief holding up his Keyblade in anticipation of the sentiment trying to directly attack his body._

_Instead though, the armor smashed the ground next to Xehanort, and multiple columns of darkness ignited from the earth and engulfed Xehanort._

"_GAHHH!" Xehanort screamed._

_He fell on his back, barely able to look up. And when he did, his eyes expanded in horror to see the sentiment swing its Keyblade, glowing yellow, across his face.

* * *

_

Xehanort opened his eyes, looking at Braig. "After that, I woke up from my unconscious state in Radiant Garden. When I remembered this event as Xemnas, I began researching how the suit of armor could have been created. I even took a further step in testing Sora's power by opening a portal to the Keyblade Graveyard at Disney Castle."

"So how did Sora fair?" she asked

He smirked. "I watched the battle from afar, but Sora was absolutely no match, even with Donald and Goofy. It's amazing how powerful that mysterious entity is. He truly has as much strength as Terra."

Suddenly, a dark portal erupted from the ground, fading away to reveal a man hunching over in a black cloak.

"There you are, Sinarem," Xehanort said. "Did you get lost?"

"Unfortunately yes," the man answered in a rough voice. "I've never been to this castle before."

For the sharpshooter, something about the voice seemed all too familiar. Though he couldn't see any trace of the man's face, save a white goatee.

Confused, the master of precision pointed his black glove toward the new guest. "Hey, who is this guy?"

"I'm insulted, Braig," he said. "How could you forget me?"

Seeing that the man still didn't understand who he was, Sinarem lowered his hood. And once the face was fully visible, Braig gaped in absolute shock.

* * *

Ever since the Destiny Islands had been destroyed, Kairi feared the darkness. To her it represented everything evil and corrupting. It had forced her to enter a coma, and nearly broke the friendship between Riku and Sora. Now she felt more confident toward it. The princess of heart had her own Keyblade, and with it, the ability to destroy any creature of the dark. But how effective would she be if she barely knew how to use it?

Soaring next to Aqua on her Keyblade Rider, Kairi turned to her new master. "Master Aqua, before we start fighting the Heartless and Nobodies on the next world, could you teach me more about how to use the Keyblade?"

The woman forgot about that. In fact, she had barely taught Sora anything so far. And if they were going to stand a chance against Xehanort, they both needed formal training.

"We'll do that on the next world we find, Kairi," Aqua told her. "And please, just call me Aqua."

Kairi smiled. "Thank you, Aqua."

The girls noticed Sora fly next to the bluenette as well. "So who is Sinarem anyway?"

"I'm not sure," Aqua remarked. "I fought him once at my old home, the Land of Departure."

"Is that where we're headed?" the boy asked.

"No," Aqua replied. "Actually, you've already seen it. It was the castle we visited earlier."

"So where are we headed now?" the redhead inquired.

"The Enchanted Dominion," the bluenette answered. "It's a kingdom I visited years ago. First I'll train you two for a bit, and then we can see if that world has been attacked yet."

Sora began considering the odds. Aqua had been gone for ten years. This world might have already been swallowed by darkness. But didn't he restore all the worlds when he closed the door to darkness? Or did that simply rejuvenate a handful. Hallow Bastion wasn't restored after he closed that door. Which meant Enchanted Dominion was probably a desolate wasteland if it had been destroyed before.

Unsure of what the future held in store, Sora glided into the spatial abyss alongside his master.

In a futile attempt to find Master Yen Sid, Mickey and Riku looked everywhere in his main room. Yet he wasn't in his usual chair or anywhere else.

"Where could he have gone?" Mickey asked.

"Maybe he left after those Nobodies showed up here," the boy suggested.

The King crossed his arms. "I'm not so sure. There must be another reason for Yen Sid to disappear like this."

Riku scratched his head. "Well, could there be other rooms we haven't checked?"

"You're right, Riku!" Mickey excitedly responded. "I'll check some of this tower's secret rooms."

The mouse rushed down the stairs. Riku started walking after him to find out what Yen Sid looks like, when suddenly he heard a noise behind him. Turning around, he was surprised to see a man in a black cloak. His back was hunched over, and there was no visible feature of his face under the hood.

The boy narrowed his eyes. "Yen Sid, is that you?"

"Not at all, Riku," he said.

He flipped off his hood, and Riku examined his face. The man looked very old, as if he were in his 70s already. The stranger had no hair save for a white goatee, and his eyes were an evil shade of yellow, the same very shade as Xehanort's Heartless.

"I can already tell you're confused," the man said. "Allow me to explain. My name is Master Sinarem. I caught your name while I eavesdropped on you and Mickey. You see, I too came here to find Yen Sid's whereabouts."

The teenager glanced at the other room, and returned his gaze to Sinarem. "You're a master?"

He nodded. "Yes. I've been a master of the Keyblade for a long time now, though I lost it in the Keyblade War."

"Keyblade War?" Riku inquired.

He lowered his head. "It was a war fought between forces of darkness and light long ago. Each side wanted control over Kingdom Hearts to wipe out the opposing side. The currently divided state of the worlds…is a result of that war."

"I see," Riku said.

"By the way, are you a darkness user by any chance?" he inquired.

The boy's eyes widened. "Wh-how could you tell?"

"I can sense the power a Keyblade wielder holds," he explained. "And your power…I've never sensed anything like it. It must be hard to keep all that darkness in check."

Riku smiled. "Thanks. But it's not that difficult really. Plus, I haven't used it much for a long time, so it's good to know my power hasn't faded. And I use the light too."

Sinarem rose an eyebrow. "Oh, so you haven't been using it for a long time? That could lead to unseen consequences."

"I doubt that," Riku said.

"Understand boy, I'm a master of darkness," Sinarem stated. "And I know from experience that if not practiced regularly, darkness can grow out of control."

Annoyed, Riku clenched his fist. "I don't need a lecture, pal. I'll take my chances."

Sinarem chuckled. "Let it be so."

Hearing Mickey's footsteps, Sinarem vanished into darkness. The mouse sadly walked up to his companion. "I couldn't find him. I'm really starting to get worried."

He held the monarch's shoulder. "Don't worry, Mickey. We'll find him somehow."

Suddenly, a thought popped into the mouse's head. "Maybe he's somewhere in Twilight Town. Let's head back there to search for him."

The two began exiting the room. Riku considered telling Mickey about his encounter with Sinarem, but decided not to. The King had enough to worry about with Yen Sid missing. Eventually, he would talk to Mickey and ask about the Keyblade War that Sinarem mentioned. Perhaps understanding that mystery would be a further step in understanding how to find Xion. And right now, that was Riku's top priority.

* * *

Aqua was excited about seeing the three fairies and Prince Philip again. Yet upon entering the atmosphere of the world, her happy anticipation dissolved into shock. The entire world was dark and desolate. The castle that once proudly towered in the distance was now crumbled in pieces. Everything had been destroyed.

"I don't believe it," she muttered.

Seeing a small clearing below, she landed with Sora and Kairi behind her. The three transformed out of their armor, and Aqua ignited a piece of wood for light. Sora felt bad to see the sadness in Aqua's eyes. Yet he understood the pain. He experienced the same sorrow when he watched his own world fall to darkness. He could already imagine all the pleasant memories and friends the bluenette had here. Now, they were gone along with the light.

"Aqua…I wish we could have stopped this," he said.

She shook her head. "It's not your fault. This isn't the first time I've seen the destruction darkness can wreak upon a world."

The woman summoned her Rain Storm Keyblade, while Kairi took out hers and Sora revealed his original weapon.

"First, a note about the Keyblade's appearance," she said. "Sora has probably noticed this by now, but every time you visit a new world and connect with the people there, your heart creates a Keychain. This Keychain can be used to transform your Keyblade and further unlock its full potential."

She handed Kairi a Keychain. "Put this on your Keyblade, Kairi."

The girl nodded, and attached it to the hilt of her weapon. In a white flash, it became the Bright Crest Keyblade.

Kairi smirked. "Wow, it looks much better now."

"And it's more powerful," Aqua added. "Sora's current Keychain is the default one for a Keyblade. And if a Keyblade from the Realm of Light had its Keychain, it would take that form. By default, Keyblades from the Realm of Darkness take the same shape but with a reverse color scheme."

"Okay then," the redhead said.

"Now, let me show you something else that will prove very useful," Aqua told them.

Closing her eyes, Aqua began to grit her teeth. Suddenly, a red aura engulfed her body, surprising the two teenagers.

"This is a command style," the master explained. "Command styles affect what types of moves you can do. Right now I'm using the Firestorm command style. To enter a command style, there are two basic methods. One is to strongly feel an emotion associated with the style. For Firestorm, I need to feel as much rage and determination as I can. The other method is to use attacks related to the command style. In order to unlock Firestorm that way, I'd have to use fire-based attacks. Sora, your clothes change when you tap into your own command styles for some reasons. I think that these are advanced styles and your clothes are magically enhanced to give you the ability to use them."

Sora crossed his arms. "So that's what these forms were. I guess the three fairies knew what they were doing."

Aqua looked at him in surprise. "Wait, you know the three good fairies?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I saw them a little over a year ago."

She frowned. "So they're not alright after all. I guess they were here when this world was destroyed."

Confused at first, Sora understood what world this was. "Wait! This is Princess Aurora's world? No wonder it's destroyed! Maleficent cast it into darkness years ago."

The woman breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good to know. I'd feel awful if something had happened to them."

"Don't worry, they'll be next on our list," a familiar voice said.

Already knowing who it was, Aqua turned with her Keyblade held out to see Braig. The man smiled as the two kids took hostile stances as well.

"Wow, you three look intimidating," he said. "You might actually stand a chance."

"Please, even Sora could take you on," Kairi joked.

"Hey, if anyone's the weakest link, it's you!" he countered.

Braig shook his head. "I never said you'd be fighting ME."

Suddenly, an orb of darkness formed in the air. From it, an armored figure landed. The suit was mostly white and gray. The upper body seemed to be far larger than the lower body. Sora immediately recognized the armor to be identical to the one Xemnas had worn during their battle. Holding out its clawed gauntlet, the armored figure summoned a menacing Keyblade. It consisted of a series of intersecting X's formed between two flat rectangles, and the tip of the blade was shaped like a star. At the center X of the weapon was an ominous blue eye.

Aqua glared at the figure. "Where did you come from? Who gave you that Keyblade?"

Braig glanced at his associate, and looked back toward the heroes. "Sorry, my friend usually keeps to himself. Though you're welcome to try to force him to talk."

The armored figure held out his weapon, and Braig flew up into the sky to watch from afar. Aqua charged at the new enemy, but he blew the trio away with a powerful Aeroga attack. Sora fell against a tree, and Kairi fell against him. Yet Aqua dug her heels into the ground, holding her own. Slowly pressing one boot into the ground at a time, Aqua made her way towards her opponent. The entity continued casting Aeroga in the Keyblade Master's direction, refusing to stop attacking. Yet Aqua never gave up, struggling to reach her adversary. Barely opening her eyes, Aqua saw her reflection in the helmet's glass just inches from her face. Suddenly, the enigma stopped his assault, and swung his Keyblade, deadlocking with Aqua.

Disoriented, Kairi opened her eyes to find herself lying on top of Sora, their chests against each other. Sora saw this too, and the two blushed a bit as they got to their feet. Ignoring what had just happened, the two watched Aqua and her opponent clash metal against metal. Out of nowhere, the armored figure struck Rain Storm out of the woman's hand. The blade landed into the dirt next to Aqua, and she widened her eyes to see a crystal of ice racing from the figure's Keyblade toward her face. Aqua cart-wheeled out of the way, grabbing her weapon as she did, and noticed the crystals circling back toward her. She summoned her reflect shield, crumbling the ice to pieces when it hit.

Aqua's barrier faded, and she saw the ground beneath her grow brighter. In an instant, a dozen bolts of lightning nailed the spot she was standing in, electrocuting the girl. Crying out in pain, Aqua fell to one knee. She gritted her teeth to see the figure charging at her, yet was surprised to see Sora and Kairi jump in front of her. The two clashed their blades against his, none of them able to gain the edge. Using this diversion, the bluenette healed herself with Curaga, and raised her Keyblade. In a burst of ice, their enemy was frozen in place, his body engulfed in a glacier. Aqua confidently smiled, yet stared in shock as the ice slowly melted from the darkness the being was pouring out. Unfrozen, the man summoned three pillars of rock from the ground, launching the trio into the air.

Screaming with fear as she fell, Kairi was surprised to see Sora cradle her and softly land on his feet.

"Don't worry, you're safe," he assured the redhead.

She smiled gratefully, and the two noticed their master land next to them. The three saw the mysterious entity pointing its Keyblade into the air, and from its tip, launched a huge Dark Firaga ball. High in the air, it split into smaller pieces and rained down on the protectors. Aqua summoned a barrier shield in an attempt to break all of them, yet every ball's impact weakened the shield. Finally, it broke, and a dozen Dark Firagas burned the three. They lied on the ground, their clothes seared and their bodies nearing death. The dark warrior slowly marched towards them. Glaring at him, Aqua weakly held up her Keyblade, and cast Curaga on all of them. Rejuvenated, the trio leapt to their feet just as their opponent prepared another attack.

Holding his Keyblade in the ground, the warrior began spinning the weapon. As he did, a pool of sinking sand formed, and seamlessly moved toward its targets. The three scattered, yet Sora's leg was caught by it. He struggled to break free, yet the sand refused to let him go. Suddenly, the whirlpool froze in place, and Aqua pulled Sora out of the ice.

"Thanks, Aqua," he said.

The two turned to see Kairi, glowing red with anger, charging toward the entity. Refusing to let her tackle that thing on her own, the master and apprentice rushed toward her. Sora and Aqua also entered the Firestorm command style, and began slashing away at their opponent. Yet he blocked every attack, and his guard didn't seem to be weakening at all. Finally, Kairi landed a hit, but only succeeded in breaking off a small sliver of his helmet. They tried to look inside the opening as they attacked, yet it was too dark for a face to be seen. Suddenly, a sudden surge of wind knocked the three back, and the armored figure healed himself, repairing the broken helmet in the process. The armored head slowly turned toward Kairi. The girl, realizing he was angry that she had struck him, was terrified. He charged toward the girl, yet Sora and Aqua stood in his path. Summoning a vortex of Aeroga, he flung Sora and Aqua out of the way. The two landed on the ground, and Sora fearfully saw Kairi barely holding her own.

* * *

"Too bad you can't do anything to save her, kiddo," Braig mocked.

Sora refused he believed it. He couldn't stand by and watch one of his closest friends die. But what could he do? He didn't have enough strength.

But someone else DID. Closing his eyes, Sora entered his mind.

_Sora was standing on his station of awakening. Of the many faces on it, he saw that Aqua had been added, and Ven was also on it._

"_Things aren't looking so good, Sora," a voice said._

_The boy turned to see Vanitas walking toward him. Yet his eyes were filled with desperation, not displeasure._

"_I need your help, Vanitas," Sora admitted. "I can't take this guy alone."_

"_Finally!" Vanitas exclaimed._

_Sora raised an eyebrow in puzzlement. "Huh?"_

_Vanitas kept smirking. "It's been too long since the world's seen my power."_

_The boy held out his hand. "Take it, and my power will be yours for the taking."_

_Sora nervously stared at him. "What are you getting out of this? Are you gonna have control of my body?"_

"_Trust me, that won't happen," the black-haired teenager promised._

_Sora crossed his arms. "Are you lying?"_

_The boy shook his head. "Not this time."_

_Believing him, Sora took his dark other's hand, and felt a huge strength enter him.

* * *

_

Sora opened his eyes and felt an aura of darkness surround him. He saw Aqua and Kairi fall to their knees as they tried to block the onslaught of strikes. His heart was filled with anger. "Get AWAY FROM THEM!"

All eyes turned towards Sora as a huge darkness overtook him. When it faded away, his appearance had dramatically changed. His eyes were yellow, his hair was black, his skin had paled, and his clothes were replaced by a black and red bodysuit. A gear-shaped Keychain was attached to his Keyblade, and its shape had morphed to that of Vanitas's darkly colored Void Gear. Smiling, Braig jumped down.

"Vanitas!" he exclaimed. "I thought you were NEVER going to come back."

"There's one problem with that, Braig," he said.

The confused man watched the boy smiled at him, and looked in horror at his Keyblade slash his side. Growling with pain and on his knees, Braig looked up at the teenager. The boy held him up by the collar.

"I'm still Sora!" the boy yelled.

Braig smacked him with his guns, giving him time to limp away into the woods. Ignoring his escape, Sora rushed over to the mysterious enemy, and began slashing him. The two entered a one-on-one battle, and neither seemed to gain the advantage. Suddenly, the armored man swung clear through Sora's heart. Aqua and Kairi gasped, yet realized that nothing had happened to Sora's body. It was just frozen in place, without even a gash where he was cut. Suddenly, a second Sora appeared out of the air and smashed the armored figure with his Keyblade. Surprised, the armored figure turned to see all three Keyblade wielders ready to fight him. Realizing the battle would be too risky, he silently vanished into darkness.

Sora threw his hands into the air. "We did it!"

He turned to see Kairi and Aqua cautiously staring at him. He quirked an eyebrow. "What is it? It's still me, guys."

"Yeah, but you look so different," Kairi remarked.

Embarrassed that she meant his muscles, Kairi tried to focus on something else.

The boy shrugged. "Looks are deceiving."

"Well, should you really be using the power of darkness?" Aqua inquired.

He crossed his arms. "As you just saw, darkness saved us from that thing. By the way, who was that anyway? He had armor like us."

"I'm not sure," Aqua conceded. "But right now we should focus on moving to the next world. I'll search for Braig, just in case he couldn't use a portal of darkness."

When Aqua had left, Sora and Kairi looked at each other.

"Sora…why do you look like that?" the girl asked.

He sighed. "This…is what Vanitas looks like. I needed his power, so I took on his form to use it."

"This may sound strange, but…you look scary, Sora," Kairi told him.

As the boy took a deep breath, an aura of light surrounded him, reverting his appearance to normal. He smiled. "See, all better!"

She nodded. "Right. I'm sorry Sora. But after watching our islands fall to darkness again…I've become afraid of it."

He held her shoulder. "Trust me, Kairi, the darkness is nothing to fear. I truly understand that now. The power that Vanitas gives me…it's exhilarating really."

The girl's expression grew worried. "Aren't you afraid he'll try to possess you?"

Sora shook his head. "I don't think so. For whatever reason, he didn't take over my body back there, so I doubt he'll do it in the future."

"Yeah, that makes sense," she agreed.

With all that being said, a small part of Kairi still wished he didn't have to use it in the future.

* * *

Riku and Mickey calmly walked towards the cliff connected to the ghost train. Suddenly, a pair of Samurais appeared out of thin air.

The boy smirked. "This is too easy."

He charged at the first one, exchanging blows with its blade. Mickey began fighting the other one with his Kingdom Key D Keyblade. Riku knocked the sword out of the Samurai's hand, and slashed through its chest, making it fade back into darkness. He turned to see half a dozen Samurais suddenly surround Mickey. Glaring at the Nobodies, Riku began fighting with him.

Unseen to the warriors below, Sinarem was perched at the top of the tower, intently waiting for an opportunity to enact his plan. As Riku began charging a powerful Dark Firaga attack for the Nobodies, the manipulative man smiled.

Riku blasted a huge Dark Firaga, double the size of a normal one, at the Samurais in front of him. Yet they all vanished into nothingness to avoid the attack. In horror, Riku watched the ball of fire speed toward his ally's back. He held out his hand, trying to change its direction, but couldn't control it anymore.

"MICKEY!" he yelled.

The mouse turned, and widened his eyes as the fire ball exploded against his chest. Screaming in pain, Mickey was knocked off the edge, falling into the endless abyss below. Yet unseen to Riku, Sinarem opened a dark portal beneath Mickey as he fell. The King fell into it, teleporting somewhere else.

Riku rushed to the edge. "Mickey, no!"

The boy peered over the ledge, seeing no sign of the mouse. He was in shock. The darkness he so confidently believed he could control had just murdered one of his closest and most trusted friends. Mickey had always been there for him, always willing to help him out. And this was how he repaid him. Overcome with grief, Riku kneeled down and cried.

"Calm yourself," a coarse voice said. "Master your emotions is the first step to mastering the darkness."

Riku looked behind him to see Sinarem sadly looking at him. "I'm sorry for your loss, Riku. I only wished I arrived here earlier to save him."

"Why didn't you just come with us?" the boy asked.

The old man sighed. "Mickey and I had…a complex past. I didn't want to face him yet. Though it pains me to see that I'll never have that chance. "

Riku slammed his fist against the ground. "It's all my fault! It's all because I couldn't control my darkness!"

Sinarem raised his hand, steering a small Dark Firaga through the air in a series of spins and flips. With a snap of his hand, the fire vanished.

"I can teach you how to master the darkness, Riku," he said. "But it can only be done if you become my apprentice and help me in my quest."

Now the teenager was growing suspicious. "What quest?"

Sinarem crossed his arms behind his back. "For eons the worlds have been divided, and the universe itself has been split into multiple realms. Yet this isn't how it was meant to be! Everything should be united under one realm, in one world! This division is the reason the Heartless and Nobodies continue to exist, not because of the darkness in people's hearts! It's because of the imbalance of the universe. There is too much light, so the Heartless is the darkness's effort to balance things out. Yet if everything existed as one balanced world, these incomplete beings would no longer exist!"

"That seems to make sense," Riku said. "But, how can it be done? Is there a way to combine the worlds?"

The old man nodded. "The only method to do that is Kingdom Hearts."

Riku nervously scratched his neck. "Sorry, Sinarem, but I've ran into lots of guys who want to use Kingdom Hearts, and their intentions are rarely good."

Realizing the boy's resolve was stronger than he thought, Sinarem thought of an alternative.

"Tell me, why were you searching for Master Yen Sid?" he asked.

"I'm trying to bring back a friend," Riku explained.

He gazed toward the ground. "She's just a part of someone's heart, or maybe even just memories, now. I want her to be whole again."

Sinarem patted Riku's back. "Lad, your intentions are as pure as your heart. Know this…Kingdom Hearts can bring back any person who has existed, even someone who's nothing more than a part of someone's heart or memories. We can bring her back."

Riku smiled. "Sounds good, Sinarem."

"Be warned though," he said. "In order to summon Kingdom Hearts, we need to first balance the worlds more. That will make Kingdom Hearts accessible from any world's heart. But to balance them, we must drown several worlds in darkness."

He didn't like the sound of that. "Isn't there another way? I've cast worlds into darkness before, and the guilt still gets to me."

"I'm sorry, but this is the only way," he said. "Understand that by doing this, we are creating the perfect world. A world of peace. A world of love. A world…of friendship."

The boy was still unsure. Yet what choice did he have? And didn't the ends justify the means? Yes, they definitely did. And after the Destiny Islands had returned from the darkness, so had all its inhabitants. Thus, there was no harm in destroying the worlds.

Riku nodded. "Very well then, Sinarem. I devote myself to your teachings."

"Kneel," the old man said.

The young warrior did so. His choice had been made.

"Riku, you have officially been entrusted as one of the protectors of the world," he announced. "From this point forward, your sole task will be to achieve a balance for the worlds. And in you is the strength of heart needed for such an endeavor."

The boy silently waited, and Sinarem smiled, a wicked grin anticipating that with this next decision, Riku's loyalty would be sealed.

"Now rise...Master Riku."


	14. Chapter 14: The Emperor's New Groove

**Kingdom Hearts: Reconnection of Souls**

**Chapter 14: The Emperor's New Groove**

_AN: Hey sorry it took four months. I'm just in a tough situation because I'm doing four different stories at once and barely have enough time to work on one regularly. But one of them will be finished up soon, so this isn't permanent. To try to make up for the time, I've packed a lot of stuff into this chapter, including most parts of the Emperor's New Groove movie (one of the funniest Disney films I've ever seen)._

A single oval of darkness erupted on the dark floor. Braig, still injured from the battle, limped out of it, and whistled at the sight of Xehanort's renovations. The once gloomy throne room had more lighting in it, and the Keyhole was hidden by an extravagant white throne with gold lining. The Heartless symbol that once sat on the floor was now gone, replaced with a huge menacing blue eye, the same one that decorated dark Keyblades like Xehanort's and Vanitas's. And Xehanort, of course, was sitting on the throne.

"What's with the changes?" Braig asked.

"Since this is my throne room once more, I felt I should give it a better aesthetic design," the dark lord replied.

The subordinate nodded with a grin. "It does look better, though I still don't get the blue eye thing."

"You seem to misunderstand myriads of information these days," Xehanort added.

The man nodded. "Definitely. I still can't figure out why Sinarem looks exactly like you did when you were a grouchy old man all those years ago, Xehanort."

The Keyblade Master ignored the derogatory comment. "Sinarem is my original body and soul, Braig. When I fought Terra at the Keyblade Graveyard, I sent my heart into his body and soul, casting off my own. And the transformation gave birth to my Guardian."

Upon even being mentioned, the monstrous shadowy creature emerged from behind Xehanort. The sniper was shocked at first, having never seen the beast.

"This Heartless corresponds to Sinarem's creation," the manipulator explained. "Thus, whereas Sinarem is my original Nobody, the Guardian acts as my Heartless of sorts."

The monster faded back into Xehanort, the memory of its horrific features imprinted in the sniper's mind. Braig scratched his head. "So, whose heart is the Guardian?"

"He isn't a corrupted heart like normal Heartless," the dark lord answered. "Rather, he is a physical manifestation of my darkness. And that's what pureblood Heartless really are."

"Still confusing, but I'll go with it," Braig said. "By the way, what was the point of saving the mouse? Mickey is just a nuisance."

"By keeping him captive, I'm hoping that his old master will come out of hiding," the master said.

"What's so special about Yen Sid?" Braig asked. "I mean, are we doing this because Riku was looking for him or what?"

"Master Yen Sid may be growing old, but he is still very powerful," Xehanort explained. "As for Riku, let's just hope he plays his part, otherwise I fear I'd have to utilize our old connection."

The underling stared in puzzlement. "Connection?"

The manipulator smirked, his white teeth forming the same sinister smile they always did. "When I returned to my homeland to put Ven to rest there, I stealthily searched for suitable candidates. Among them, I found a Riku as a baby boy, yet even then his heart's strength and valiance seemed to radiate. At that moment, I connected my heart to his, hoping to one day use Riku as my vessel. When I found Terra though, I resolved to be proactive and make the change sooner."

Braig scratched his head. "So you've been connected to his heart this entire time?"

"Yes, and that's the reason my Heartless sought him out," Xehanort replied. "However, when Ansem the Wise's machine exploded, my heart and Terra's were expunged. I reverted to this form upon reuniting with Xemnas."

Braig glanced at the armored figure standing beside the Keyblade wielder. "Speaking of mysteries, who's tall, dark, and ugly over there?"

"My lingering sentiment," Xehanort answered.

The freeshooter scratched his head, chuckling a bit. "I miss the days when the mission was simple: trick Sora to slay Heartless and gather hearts."

Xehanort stared at him, not even laughing a bit at the joke. Ignoring the awkward silence, Braig glared at him. "Now I'm REALLY confused. How could you have a sentiment? I just thought only people who were…you know, GONE could have them."

"Sentiments are animated objects brought to life by one's emotions," Xehanort said. "Despite being alive and well, I've used my powerful emotions to animate the armor."

The sniper smirked. "I'm impressed! That thing really did a number on Aqua and the others. Until Sora turned into Vanitas of course."

At that, Xehanort's yellow orbs froze in shock. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, I was taunting Sora during the battle, trying to make him snap," the freeshooter said. "Instead of freaking out, this burst of darkness surrounded him, and suddenly he looked like Vanitas. But kiddo was still the one calling the shots."

The Keyblade warrior mused over this. He had spent years raising Vanitas, and knew the boy more than anyone else. What truly defined the youth was his existence. He was pure darkness, and thus was incapable of genuinely feeling compassion or any other positive emotion. So why would he choose to help Sora? Vanitas must have some ulterior motive.

"I'm…not entirely sure what he's up to," Xehanort admitted. "But Vanitas is no fool. For one reason or another, he wants to lend Sora his power. Perhaps he simply thought that doing so would give him control."

"I guess that makes sense," Braig agreed.

The tan man held out his hand, summoning his weapon. "You recall the initial agreement we made, correct?" the man inquired.

The sharpshooter nodded. "Yeah. I did a few tasks for you, and in return my darkness was enhanced."

"How would you like to make another promise?" his boss asked.

Another one? Braig had no idea what the man was getting at.

"Well, I guess so," the freeshooter answered. "What's the deal?"

"Aqua is becoming far too dangerous for her own good," Xehanort remarked. "I need you to eliminate her, once and for all."

Braig rolled his eyes. "Well I don't know where she is, but that's BRILLAINT! Except I've been trying to do that for DAYS! And every time I didn't come close to beating her!"

"The reason for that is your weapon," the Keyblade wielder reminded him.

"Are you suggesting I don't even USE a weapon!" Braig yelled. "You're insane you crazy old-"

In a blur of movement, Braig found Xehanort's Keyblade at the tip of his neck, ready to slash his throat and terminate his existence. Darkness was flaring around his boss, and his yellow eyes seemed to be glowing with rage.

"Stop making foolish assumptions and listen!" the leader barked.

Braig nodded, and Xehanort lowered the weapon a bit.

"I'm saying you need to upgrade," the man explained.

As Xehanort flipped his weapon around so that the handle was facing Braig, the underling stared in shock, his yellow eyes filled with glee. He knew that Keyblade Masters can pass on the ability to wield the legendary key.

Xehanort menacingly smiled as he was about to speak. "Grab hold of it."

* * *

Inside a small dining hall, an incredibly muscular man with black hair began lighting two candles. The man's name was Kronk, and just as his appearance implied, he had much more brawn than brain. Still, the man had talents outside of his physique, including a marvelous cooking skill. The assistant smiled at the exquisite dinner he had prepared on the table.

A woman wearing dark clothing entered the room with a smile on her face. She looked incredibly old, with more lines and wrinkles than the interior of a tree trunk.

"So, is everything ready for tonight?" she asked excitedly.

Kronk, misunderstanding what she meant, nodded and held up a bowl of vegetables. "Oh yeah, I thought we'd start off with soup and a light salad, and then see how we feel after that."

Glaring, the woman lowered bowl. "NOT the dinner. The you know…"

Dimming his eyelids in confusion, Kronk suddenly realized what she meant. "Oh right! The poison…the poison for Kuzco…the poison chosen specially to kill Kuzco…Kuzco's poison…"

Yzma rolled her eyes, able to tell he was still confused.

"That poison-" he asked.

"Yes, that poison!" she cut him off.

The assistant took out a pink vial. "Gotcha covered."

The woman maliciously grinned. "Excellent! A few drops in his drink, then I'll propose a toast, and he will be dead before dessert."

Kronk frowned. "Which is a real shame, because it's gonna be delicious."

When Yzma was about to chide him for worrying about that, the door suddenly slammed open. The pair turned their heads to see the man of the hour standing there, dressed in his casual red and gold robe.

"Boom bam baby!" Kuzco exclaimed arrogantly. "Let's get to the grub. I am one hungry king of the world!"

He spun his chair and took a seat in it, rubbing his eyes as he looked at Yzma. "So, no hard feelings about being let go?"

"None whatsoever," she lied through her teeth. "Kronk! Get the emperor a drink."

At first he was about to react normally and grab a tasty refreshment, but then he realized what his boss meant. He pointed to her. "Drink! Righttttttt!"

The servant walked behind Kuzco toward the table with glasses on it. After filling them with the normal liquid, he poured the poison into one of them, emitting a quick puff of smoke that Kuzco didn't even seem to notice. Kronk walked back to the table, rotating the disk so that the altered drink was facing Kuzco.

"Your highness," he said.

Kuzco smiled at the beverage, but stopped at the smell of smoke. "Is something burning?"

Kronk gasped. "My spinach puffs!"

The cook rushed back into the kitchen, leaving Kuzco and his former advisor alone.

"So…he seems nice," the emperor said in an effort to break the awkward silence.

She nodded. "Uh, he is."

The ruler mused to himself. "He's what, in his…late 20s?"

"Uh, I'm not sure," she responded honestly.

At that point, Kronk appeared out of the door frame, holding his hot plate of food. "Saved them!"

"That's great! Good job!" Kuzco said.

Trying to go along with it, Yzma smiled. "Yes, very good job!"

He began preparing to serve the puffs, yet Yzma cleared her throat to get his attention. She cleared it again, yet he seemed lost in his own stream of consciousness.

"Kronk…the emperor needs his drink!" she reminded him.

He nodded, and then understood what she meant. "Right…oh…righttttt."

The man was about to grab the poisoned glass when he suddenly turned nervous. He had forgotten which one was poisoned. Smiling, he took the entire tray of refreshments and rushed to the table far behind Kuzco. Frustrated with his incompetence, Yzma smacked her head.

"Hey Kronky, everything okay back there?" the emperor inquired.

Realizing the vial was empty, Kronk emptied out the vase and poured all the liquids into it, and then distributed the poison equally to each glass. "Erm, drinks are a bit on the warm side."

Laughing, he walked back over to the table, setting down the tray. "Hey, did you see that sky today? Talk about blue!"

She raised her glass. "A toast…to the emperor!"

Kuzco picked up his glass, ignoring her.

"Long live Kuzco!" she exclaimed.

The boy began spinning his glass. Kronk, on the other hand, motioned towards his glass, with Yzma staring in confusion.

"Don't drink the water…poison!" he said in a muffled voice.

Thirsty, Kuzco downed the drink, whereas Yzma tossed hers into a nearby cactus and Kronk pretended to drink it by flowing it past his mouth and down his shirt.

The ruler smiled. "Ah…tasty!"

With no change in his facial expression, the boy's head fell into the bowl on the table. Yzma grinned. Her plan had succeeded. After being harassed by an adolescent emperor for all her life and even being fired by him, Yzma had finally extracted her revenge. Kuzco was dead.

"Finally!" she said. "Good work, Kronk."

"Oh, they're so easy to make," he said in reference to the puffs. "I'll get you the recipe."

She ignored him. "Now, to get rid of the body…"

Suddenly, Kuzco sharply raised his head, not hearing any of what they said. "Okay! What were we saying?"

The woman was in shock, but tried to adapt to the surprising circumstances. "Uh, we were just making a toast to your long and…"

In a split second, huge ears popped out of the boy's head. The woman felt even more confused, and Kronk merely shrugged in puzzlement.

"…healthy rule!" she finished.

Kronk stared at the boy, yet Kuzco didn't seem to notice.

"Right," the emperor said. "So what are you gonna do?"

The boy's neck extended another foot, yet he didn't seem to notice. "I mean, you've been around here a long time."

Yzma stared, her eyes wide at the site.

"And I REALLY mean a long time," he said in a derogatory tone.

The woman began humming, looked towards Kronk, and smashed two pieces of broccoli against each other, in the same motion one would smash a hammer.

"Uh…and it might be, hmm, difficult for someone of your age," the boy continued.

He continued to transform, this time a hoof replacing his right hand.

"Adjusting to life in the private sector," he said to end his statement.

He looked towards Kronk, holding up his glass with his normal hand. "Hey Kronk, can you top me off pal? Be a friend?"

As he chuckled, his human face suddenly distorted and took the shape of a llama's.

Kronk tuned Kuzco out, focused on Yzma smashing the vegetables. He held up his plate. "More broccoli?"

She shook her head, and pounded one fist on top of the other. The muscular man widened his eyes, comprehending what she wanted.

"Let's face it, you're no spring chicken!" Kuzco admitted.

Kronk approached the llama emperor, holding a plate over him. Yet the boy didn't even notice this.

"And I mean that in the nicest way possible," he assured Yzma.

In an instant, Kronk slammed the bowl on the llama's head, knocking him out cold. Yzma rushed over, staring at the blueblood in shock.

"What?" she screamed. "A llama? HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD!"

Kronk rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah…weird."

Glaring at her servant, the elderly woman held out her hand. "Let me see that vial!"

He gave it to her, and she noticed that the label was pushed down a bit, forming what seemed to be a skull. By pushing it up, it was revealed to be the silhouette of a llama.

"This isn't poison!" she yelled. "This is extract of…LLAMA!"

The woman groaned as Kronk prepared an alibi. "You know, in my defense your poisons all look alike. You may wanna think about relabeling some of them."

"Take him out of town and finish the job NOW!" she angrily commanded.

Raising his eyes in thought, the man stared in confusion. "What about dinner?"

At that point all the emotion drained from her face. "Kronk…this is KIND OF important…"

"How about dessert?" he asked in a saddened tone.

Raising her finger in protest, Yzma began having second thoughts. "Well I suppose there's time for dessert."

He smiled. "And coffee?"

"Alright, a quick cup of coffee," the traitor agreed. "THEN TAKE HIM OUT OF TOWN AND FINISH THE JOB!"

* * *

The toughest aspect of exploring worlds was adjusting to the environment. As Aqua pushed her way through blankets of bushes and tree branches, the Keyblade Master realized that after all these years, she still hadn't gained mastery over adaptation. Sora and Kairi were having even more difficult traversing through the jungle.

"Ugh, the ground feels like quick sand!" Sora exclaimed. "I can barely even move!"

Turning her head, Aqua realized he was in fact in quick sand. Quickly casting Blizzaga on the area around him, Aqua stopped the sand from pulling her apprentice in. Stretching out her hand, she took hold of Sora and pulled him to safety.

"Thanks," he replied. "Sorry if I'm slowing you down."

"Honestly, Sora, I've never been in an environment as difficult as this," Aqua admitted.

The woman was relieved to see an exit from the marsh in the distance. "Let's head for that exit!"

Before she could go any further, two dozen Neoshadows popped out from the ground. Gritting her teeth, Aqua held her Keyblade high in the air. An orange spark from the tip of Bright Crest morphed into a large sphere, and from it countless fireballs blasted out and homed towards the beasts. Most of the Heartless were consumed in flames, the black goo evaporating like smoke. Sora spun around just as the remaining Neoshadows slithered toward him. He summoned Oathkeeper, and sliced through the enemies with ease. The final pair of monsters crawled towards Kairi, and once they reverted from their flat forms on the ground, the girl blasted two spheres of light from Destiny's Embrace. Still silent, the Heartless faded into darkness.

The three warriors calmly unequipped their Keyblades.

"Man, looks like Xehanort's getting more serious about these Heartless," Sora remarked.

Kairi widened her eyes in shock. "Xehanort's back?"

Her friend nodded. "Apparently. Then again…we're just taking Braig's word for it…"

"Don't rule out the possibility of Xehanort being back, Sora," Aqua said.

The boy crossed his arms. "I just don't see how that could be possible. His Heartless and Nobody were both destroyed."

"That is correct," she agreed. "However, the expulsion of those two halves only ensures the return of the whole."

Sora narrowed his gaze in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Heartless and Nobodies are incomplete beings, in both their existence and their inexistence," she explained. "Thus, for them, death is nothing more than a true birth."

"So, he could just keep coming back?" Sora inquired.

"Theoretically, yes, which is why I need to stop him this time," Aqua told him.

As she began to walk away, the apprentice stared in confusion. "Don't you mean WE need to stop him?"

"No," she affirmatively stated. "He is too powerful for you, Sora. I won't let you fight him."

"What?" he yelled. "I beat his Heartless and his Nobody."

She raised an eyebrow. "On your own?"

The hero of the Key lowered his head. "Well, no…"

"Exactly, and that's why I'm worried, Sora," she said to him. "If you couldn't defeat parts of Xehanort, how could you beat the true Xehanort?"

"I've gotten stronger!" Sora argued. "I even went toe-to-toe with that armored guy even when you could barely hold your own."

Kairi snapped her head towards him. "Sora! Don't insult Aqua like that!"

"It's fine, Kairi," she assured the girl. "Sora, you don't know what end results that form could have given you. For all we know, Vanitas might have taken control of your body."

"Don't worry about Vanitas right now!" the apprentice commanded. "Just focus on Xehanort. He's the one who needs to be stopped."

"And I'm going to be the one to stop him," Aqua bluntly stated. "Alone."

"You're being irrational!" Sora defiantly declared. "What if you fail, Aqua? If that happens, we won't stand a chance. Our best option is to fight him together!"

She sighed. "You don't understand. He can use you as hostages, as bait. I don't want that to happen."

Just as he was about to counter, Sora vaguely remembered when Xemnas took him hostage in their final battle. The boy stopped arguing, and continued to obediently follow his master out of the jungle. Silently, he promised himself to do everything he could to help Aqua against their malevolent antagonist.

* * *

Darkness. Ages ago, it invigorated him with power. It once gave him strength, confidence, and a false sense of invincibility.

Now it mocked him, acting as a testimony to his arrogance and mistakes. Terra opened his cobalt eyes, finding himself surrounded by endless swirls of gray and black darkness in his heart. He glanced at the shadows, each of them representing one of his sinful acts. And before him stood the greatest shadow of all. Its shape was familiar, representing a figure whom Terra once called "father".

The young man turned away. He couldn't bear to look. He couldn't stand the shame.

"What's wrong, Terra?" a voice spoke. "I thought I taught you better manners than this."

His eyes widened, quickly recognizing the compassionate tone. Terra whipped his head around, and seeing that the humanoid shadow was gone. In its place was the true being. The man's black hair contrasted with his white cloak. A set of scars decorated his face. Brown and blue eyes locked, and in an instant, Terra was brought to tears. He knelt at the man's feet.

"Master Eraqus," he said. "I…am so sorry…for everything…"

The man grabbed Terra. Yet he didn't lecture him nor beat him. Rather, he embraced his surrogate son.

"I forgave you long ago, Terra," Eraqus said.

Terra gulped. "But so much chaos has been dealt from my hand. I failed."

"No, you never failed me, Terra," Eraqus assured him. "I was the one who failed you. I pushed you away when I should have kept you close…I treated you with deceit when I should have given you my trust."

Eraqus's tears slowly stopped, and his face became serious again. "As for the hand behind all this disorder, it's not yours. Rather, it hides behind a white glove, just as its master hides in the shadows."

Terra nodded. "Xehanort. I'm going to find him. The last thing he'll see will be my suit of armor squeezing the life out of him."

"Terra, don't speak like that!" Eraqus exclaimed. "We cannot rely on hatred again. It led to both our demises."

The younger man nodded. "You're right. But he has to be stopped, Master! I thought he was destroyed a while ago, but then I could sense him again…feel him again. He's out there somewhere, I know it!"

"Terra, if you are so determined, then why haven't you left this place yet?"

The earth warrior shook his head. "I'd rather not say."

Eraqus rested his hand on the youth's shoulder. "I'm not here to judge you. Please, just explain your reasoning."

The young man sighed. "The shame is too much to bear, Master. If I visit the worlds, I will start thinking of Aqua and Ven again."

"But they're your best friends," Eraqus argued.

"That's the point!" Terra yelled. "They were EVERYTHING to me. They pushed me beyond my limits, beyond the limits of existence. And yet every time I so much as think of them, I'm overcome with grief. The same memories replay in my head like a broken record, until I feel like bursting into tears. Venturing the other worlds will just make that pain worse, until I can't even move my armor anymore."

The Keyblade Master's expression grew sorrowful as he looked upon his broken and sorrowful student.

* * *

Sinarem stepped out of a dark portal, his new apprentice following suit. Riku examined the surroundings, realizing they were in the Land of the Dragons.

"Why are we here?" the boy asked.

"Believe it or not, this world has a substantial aura of light," Sinarem told him. "By submitting this place to darkness, we will be one step further toward our goal."

Somewhat uncertain, Riku summoned his Keyblade. "So, where's the keyhole?"

"Unfortunately, I am not completely sure," the old man honestly responded. "However, you need only listen to your heart to find it."

"Listening to my heart isn't really my thing," the boy answered. "Sora's much better at that."

"Who is this Sora?" the old man asked as if he didn't know.

"He's my best friend," Riku responded.

Content that the boy was falling for the ruse, Sinarem held the boy's shoulder.

"Riku, are you jealous of Sora?" Sinarem inquired.

Riku's eyes widened for a bit when he began to reminisce.

* * *

_Riku and Sora were surrounded by concrete buildings, all of them practically identical…lacking an identity just like their leader. Sora and Riku landed on the throne, both wielding their Keyblades and ready to resume the fight._

_Xemnas tilted his armored head toward them._

"_Riku…are you jealous of Sora?" the Nobody asked._

_Flinching for a moment, Riku snapped out of it as Xemnas swung his long blade toward them. The white haired boy ducked just in time, and held out his hand to launch another barrage of Dark Firaga.

* * *

_

The boy didn't understand. Why did Sinarem say the exact same thing? Did he have some connection to Xemnas? Speaking of which, where WAS this guy when the Organization was causing trouble. Riku tried to identify the man's scent, but the black cloak completely masked it.

Riku shook his head. "Trust me, I'm not jealous of him."

"Ah, so then is it anger that fuels your darkness?" the elder asked.

The boy smiled. "Well I can be grouchy sometimes, so maybe that's it."

"I can sense your power, Riku," Sinarem stated. "You have so much potential…and yet all you're capable of is creating dark fireballs."

Riku winced. "Hey, if I'm gonna have to put up with your insults, you can forget our alliance."

Sinarem shook his head. "No, no my boy. Just hear me out."

Riku crossed his arms, and the old man took his usual stance with his hands behind his back. "The darkness you hold within is incredibly powerful. Yet you choose to hold it back, there's no way you will be able to overcome Sora."

"I don't WANT to beat Sora," Riku argued. "I don't even want to fight him! We're on the same side."

"Sadly, not for long," the Nobody insisted.

Riku glared at him. "You better stop with the cryptic words and explain what you mean."

Silent for a moment, Sinarem sighed. "Sora is going to betray you, Riku."

The boy began walking away. "You're insane. I can't believe I even agreed to go with you."

"When he discovers your new mission, he won't understand," the old man said. "He'll attempt to defeat you in a misguided effort to preserve world order."

"Since when were you psychic?" Riku asked.

"Believe it or not, it's a rare but incredible power of Keyblade Masters," Sinarem explained.

The youth chuckled. "Is this some kind of sick joke? How could that even be possible? And if it is true, then tell me, what will happen once I unlock the last Keyhole?"

"Alas, the extent of this power is not absolute," Sinarem replied.

Riku rolled his eyes, not surprised with the answer.

"Terra experienced the limits first-hand," the old man remarked.

At the sound of that name, Riku's eyes widened in shock. "Wait, how do you know Terra?"

"I met him a long time ago," Sinarem responded. "He delved into the full depths of darkness and was able to unlock powers beyond human imagination."

Smiling, the old man curled his hand into a fist. "I can teach you how to release your inner strength."

The boy stared at Sinarem for a moment. "Show me."

The man raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Show me the strongest darkness attack you have," he demanded. "Unless you're all talk."

Nodding, Sinarem held out his hand. A small flame erupted from his palm. The fire grew bigger, and Sinarem launched it into the sky with a grunt. Once in the sky, the darkness took the form of a heart, and from it countless beams and spheres of dark infernos erupted. They scattered across the area, evaporating the mountain's snow instantly upon contact.

Riku stared in shock at the destruction. "Amazing."

Confidently, Sinarem stepped past him. "Shall we get going?"

Briefly nodding, the youth followed suit, skeptical about his master's intentions but determined to learn his power.

* * *

Kairi knelt on the ground in relief. "Finally, we're out of that jungle!"

Sora crossed his arms. "But where are we now?"

Looking at the road ahead, Aqua noticed a set of houses situated on a small hill. "Seems like we're finally going to meet the locals."

As the blue haired knight began walking, she noticed someone walking towards them. The man was dressed like a peasant, and behind him was a brown llama towing a cart with several bags and boxes in them. Sighing, he sat down on a log and held his hands over his face.

Aqua approached him. "Are you alright."

He opened his eyes. "Oh yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired."

The peasant rubbed his chin with curiosity. "Say, I don't think I've seen you three before. And you're not dressed like peasants. Do you work for the emperor?"

"Emperor?" Sora asked.

"Yeah, his royal highness," Pacha said as he rolled his eyes. "Royal brat is more like it."

"Sounds like this ruler is a despot," Aqua remarked.

Pacha nodded, and then widened his eyes in surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was so caught up with my problems that I didn't even catch your names."

"I'm Aqua," the woman said. "And these are my two apprentices, Sora and Kairi."

"Pleased to meet you," he said. "I'm Pacha, one of the villagers here."

"This village looks peaceful," Sora stated.

The man nodded. "It sure does. And take it from me, when the sun hits that ridge just right…these hills sing."

Aqua smiled, already able to sense the immense light in the man's heart. Suddenly, the group saw something shift in one of the cart's bags. Pacha opened it to see a disoriented llama with black fur pop its head out.

"Where did you come from, little guy?" Pacha inquired.

"No…touchey…" the creature replied.

His eyes wide with fear, Pacha screamed. "Ah! DEMON LLAMA!"

"Demon llama, where?" the black haired llama yelled.

The talking llama turned to the brown llama. Shocked that the talking llama could talk, the normal llama screamed in fear.

"AHHHHH!" the talking llama fear as he struggled to get away.

He leapt off the bag, running on two feet for some strange reason. Suddenly, he tumbled and landed with his head on the ground. "My head…"

The humans stared in shock at what was happening. Sora was about to summon his Keyblade, but Aqua held him back.

"Okay demon llama, just take it easy!" Pacha calmly told him. "I mean you no harm!"

"What are you talking about?" the llama asked before recognizing him. "Wait…I know you! You're that whiney peasant!"

Dumbfounded, Pacha squinted for a moment. "Emperor Kuzco?"

"Yeah, who did you think you were talking to?" Kuzco asked arrogantly.

"THAT'S THE EMPEROR?" Sora yelled in confusion.

"I guess humans serve the animals on this world," Aqua assessed.

"No, everyone serves me," he said.

Realizing how beautiful the girl was, Kuzco smiled and sat next to her. "Although, I am single if you're interested in ruling by my side."

Disgusted, Aqua glared at him and kept her distance. The llama turned to Kairi. "How about you? Red-heads are pretty rare around here."

Sora angrily stepped in front of him. "Why don't you find someone who looks like YOU?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" the llama said in confusion.

"Uh, you don't LOOK like the emperor," Pacha claimed.

"What do you mean I don't LOOK like the emperor?" Kuzco inquired.

Pacha scratched his head in confusion. "Well…uh…"

Suddenly, he understood how to show him the truth. The peasant held up his fingers, clapping them. "Do this."

The llama rolled his eyes. "What is this, some kind of game you country folk like to…"

The moment he looked at his hand, he gasped upon seeing a hoof instead.

"It can't be!" Kuzco yelled.

Rushing over to a nearby puddle, Kuzco looked at the reflection in horror to see that he was a llama. "My face! My beautiful beautiful face!"

As Kuzco hysterically cried, Pacha sat next to him. "Okay, okay."

"Llama face!" Kuzco whined to end his rant.

"What happened?" the man asked.

"I'm trying to figure that out, okay?" Kuzco angrily replied.

Trying to stand again, he fell to his feet, laughing in a psychotic tone for a moment before growing nervous again. "I can't remember! I can't remember anything..."

He looked at Pacha. "Wait a minute…I remember you! I remember telling you that I was building my pool where your house was, and then you got mad at me."

Suddenly, Kuzco widened his eyes in understanding, and glared at Pacha. "Then you turned me into a llama!"

"Wh-no I did not!" Pacha responded.

"I doubt he would do that," Aqua remarked. "He has too much light in him."

"Light shmight!" Kuzco exclaimed.

Aqua glared at the llama, already disliking him for apparently trying to rid Pacha's home for his own desires.

"Yeah, then you kidnapped me!" Kuzco said to Pacha.

"Why would I kidnap a llama?" Pacha asked with genuine puzzlement.

The llama continued glaring. "I have no idea. You're the criminal mastermind, not me!"

"What?" Pacha yelled.

The emperor's expression relaxed once more. "You're right, that's giving you WAY too much credit."

While the man seethed from the insult, Kairi mused over the situation. "Maybe the Heartless did this."

Just as she said that, a battalion of black jaguar Heartless with red eyes appeared.

"Way to jinx us, Kairi!" Sora yelled.

"Ah, monsters!" Kuzco yelled.

The llama rushed into the jungle, fearful from being caught by the Heartless.

"Wait, slow down or you'll get lost!" Pacha called out as he chased after him.

Ignoring him, Kuzco continued running, knocking over a squirrel in his path. "Out of the way, tiny!"

Growling, the squirrel began to follow after him while Pacha still lagged behind in the distance. Kuzco ran on to a tree branch, but it broke under his weight. Screaming as he fell, Kuzco hit the ground hard, and slowly opened his eyes to see himself surrounded by jaguar Heartless. Lucky for him, they were sound asleep.

Sighing a breath of relief, Kuzco saw something emerge from a bush in front of him. It was the squirrel from before. Smiling deviously, the critter held out a limp piece of rubber.

"What are you doing?" the llama whispered.

It put the rubber to its mouth, inflating it into a balloon and molding it into the shape of a llama. To make the symbolism even more fitting, the squirrel held a sharp pin next to his creation.

"No, no!" Kuzco whispered.

Still smiling, the squirrel popped the balloon, creating a huge explosion of wind that fluffed back Kuzco's fur. His eyes wide with fear, Kuzco realized that the Heartless were still snoozing.

The llama grinned as he pointed at the squirrel. "HAA!"

Realizing how loud he yelled, the emperor covered his mouth just as the Heartless awakened with a snarl. The llama sprinted away on all fours, yet the jaguars were just as fast. Pushing through a thicket of bushes, Kuzco found himself on a small cliff high above a river. Certain his life was about to end, Kuzco heard a scream in the distance, and saw Pacha swinging on a rope towards the jaguars. He kicked toward them, prepared to knock them off…

…and completely missed when the pureblood Heartless flattened themselves against the ground.

The dark creatures growled, ready to have their dinner. Unexpectedly, Pacha swung back the other way, grabbing the royal llama. Kuzco screamed as the two hung in midair.

"Don't worry your highness, I got ya!" he assured him. "You're safe now!"

The vine caught on a tree trunk horizontally hanging over another cliff. Winding around the wood, the vines tied the two on opposite sides on the plant.

"Maybe I'm just new to this whole rescuing thing, but this, to me, might be considered kinda a step backwards, wouldn't you say?" he asked.

Pacha stayed positive. "No, no, this is okay! This is alright. We can figure this out."

Out of nowhere, the tree trunk cracked at the base supporting it, slowly leaning down toward the river.

"…I hate you," Kuzco remarked.

Just as the Keyblade wielders dashed towards the jaguars, the tree trunk broke apart, with the huge piece carrying Kuzco and Pacha plummeting into the river. The wood floated and kept them above water as they twirled through a series of sharp rocks as they descended two levels on the river. Whether it was an act of providence or cruel coincidence, the trunk smashed Kuzco against every rock in sight due to the rapid water flow. Finally, the pair arrived on a level area of water with a slow pull.

"I don't know about you, but I'm all funned out," Kuzco stated.

His eyes droopy, Pacha looked in shock at what he saw ahead.

"Uh oh," he muttered.

"Don't tell me," Kuzco said. "We're about to go over a huge waterfall."

The peasant nodded. "Yep."

"Sharp rocks at the bottom?" the llama asked.

"Most likely," he replied.

Kuzco's face showed no fear or apprehension. "Bring it on."

The two fell hundreds of feet toward the deposit of water.

"BOOYAHHH!" Kuzco screamed as they descended.

* * *

Soaked and wet, Pacha emerged from the water. As he gasped for air, he saw an unconscious Kuzco float next to him before sinking once more. Taking a deep breath, Pacha dived down and grabbed the emperor. Hearing the roar of engines, Pacha turned to see the Keyblade warriors on their vehicles.

"Need a lift?" Sora asked.

Nodding in gratitude, Pacha climbed aboard Sora's glider with Kuzco in hand. Sora glided toward the shore before his rider collapsed from Pacha's weight. The Keyblade took its true form and vanished in a burst of light.

"Are you alright?" Kairi asked.

"I am, but I don't know about him," Pacha replied.

The peasant laid out Kuzco, listening for a heartbeat yet unable to hear one. "Your highness? Your highness, can you hear me?"

The man groaned. "Oh boy? Come on, breathe! Breathe!"

He slapped the llama, yet there was still no response.

Pacha tilted his head toward the sky. "Why me?"

"Huh?" Kairi said in confusion.

Pacha opened Kuzco's mouth, allowing the long tongue to pop out and limp on the ground. Gulping, Pacha leaned towards Kuzco.

"What's he doing?" Sora yelled.

Aqua silently pitied the poor guy, yet realized there was little she could do. Cure spells only healed injuries. They couldn't revive the dead or prevent drowning.

Just as Pacha made contact with the creature's lips, Kuzco's eyes opened a bit, and expanded in horror at what was happening. Pacha widened his own eyes when he realized Kuzco was awake.

The two broke apart, spitting continuously even though no fluid had been exchanged.

Kairi awkwardly rubbed her shoulder. "You know, if you told me THAT'S what you needed to do, I could have shown you a method that doesn't involve anything with the face."

The two glared at her for a second, locked gazes, and then shivered before turning away from each other.

Gargling his mouth to rid himself of any impurities, Kuzco sat next to the lake to spit in it. Pacha and the others were seated next to a roaring fire.

* * *

"For the last time, it was NOT a kiss!" Pacha told him.

"Bleh, well whatever you call it, it was disgusting!" Kuzco said before spitting at the fire.

Just as the flame went out, Aqua summoned her Keyblade to reignite it.

"That's quite a sword," Pacha stated.

Aqua nodded. "It's a legendary weapon known as the Keyblade."

"Is that thing part of the reason you guys are here?" Pacha inquired.

Sora nodded. "Yeah. We're traveling worlds to seal their keyholes and protect them from monsters like the ones you just faced."

Pacha stared in surprise. "There are other worlds?"

Glaring at her student for revealing that secret, Aqua turned her attention back to Pacha. "Yes. But try not to tell anyone. Non-wielders shouldn't know about it."

"My lips are sealed," Pacha promised.

"I wish they were sealed before!" Kuzco called out.

The peasant glared at the spoiled blue blood before the llama arrogantly sprawled in front of the fire. "But, now that you're here, you can take me back to the palace. I'll have Yzma change me back, and then I'll start construction on Kuzcotopia! Oh yeah!"

"Okay, you know what, I think we got off on the wrong foot here," Pacha said as he walked towards his green vest.

Kuzco grunted indifferently as he snatched the vest and dried himself with it. As he tossed it aside, Pacha resisted the urge to scowl at him.

"I just think that if you really thought about it, you'd decide to build your home on another hilltop," the man argued.

"I doubt he would, Pacha," Aqua said. "Not from what I've seen so far."

"Exactly!" Kuzco exclaimed. "I shouldn't have to! Even miss sword-key agrees with me."

"It's a Keyblade, and I didn't-" Aqua said before being cut off.

"Why would I do that?" Kuzco asked him.

Trying to be patient, Pacha looked at him while folding his hands. "Well, deep down I think you'll realize that you're forcing an entire village out of their homes just for you."

Kuzco stared. "And that's…bad?"

The three outsiders wanted to smack their heads. Exchanging looks, they all understood they were thinking the same thing: Kuzco was ridiculously arrogant.

"Well yes!" Pacha said with a chuckle. "Nobody's that heartless!"

Sora looked around, and smirked at Kairi. "Funny, they don't get summoned when he says it."

The girl glared at him, playfully shoving the boy with her elbow.

"Now take me back!" Kuzco commanded as he began walking away.

Pacha stood up in protest. "Wait, wait! How can you BE this way? All you care about is building your summer home and filling it with stuff for you!"

"Uh yeah, doi, me!" Kuzco said. "Everyone else in the kingdom seems to get it."

"I don't," Sora stated.

Glaring at the boy for a moment, the llama turned back to Pacha. "You're the only one who doesn't seem to be with the program. Eh, Pacha?"

Shaking his head with pity, Pacha looked into the llama's eyes. "You know what…someday you're gonna wind up all alone. And you'll have no one to blame but yourself."

Kairi was surprised at how wise the peasant was. From the stories she had been told as a girl, she expected peasants to be inferior and stupid. Clearly though, Pacha had more wisdom than some people did in their entire lifetimes.

Kuzco rolled his eyes. "Thanks for that, I'll log that away…now for the final time, I order you to take me back to the palace."

"Looks to me like you're stuck out here," Pacha said. "Because unless you change your mind, I'm not taking you back."

Kuzco repeated his words in a girly tone while the peasant ignored him. Realizing how scarce his options were, Kuzco sighed.

"Okay, fine!" the emperor said. "I'll build my summer home somewhere else."

"Really?" Pacha said skeptically. "You changed your mind just like that?"

"Uh, yeah, I'm a spontaneous guy," Kuzco replied naturally.

Pacha held out his hand. The llama nearly grabbed hold of it when Pacha reeled his arm back.

"Don't shake…unless you mean it…" Pacha warned him.

Nervous at first, Kuzco held out his hoof and firmly shook Pacha's hand. The peasant happily smiled.

"Alright, then let's get you back to the palace," the man announced.

"We'll come along too," Aqua stated. "There could be more beasts like the ones we faced earlier."

"Sounds good," Pacha said.

The hefty man stepped beside Aqua, and turned back to Kuzco one final time. "By the way…thanks…"

The emperor deviously smiled. "No…thank YOU…"

* * *

The whole palace was in mourning. Every servant was dressed in black, and Yzma had an extravagant black cloak on as she stood in front of the crowd. Between her and Kronk was a portrait of Kuzco as a human, smiling his trademark grin of pride.

"And so, it is with great sadness that we mourn the sudden departure of our beloved prince," Yzma stated. "Taken from us so tragically on the very eve of his 18th birthday."

Kronk sadly sobbed as she spoke. "Poor guy."

"His legacy will live on in our hearts for all eternity," Yzma stated.

After a moment of silence, she smiled as she raised her hands. "Well! He ain't getting any deader!"

She threw off the cloak to reveal a fancy purple dress. "Back to work!"

The minions began painting symbols of Yzma's face across the palace walls. In her private chambers, Yzma lied down on a lounge chair while Kronk entered with the door sharply shutting behind him.

"Kronk, darling," she purred. "I must admit, you had me worried when you mixed up those poisons. But now that Kuzco's DEAD, all is forgiven."

The underling flinched before smiling. He accidentally placed his hand on the grill. "Oh, oh yeah! He's dead alright."

His mitt ignited in flames, and the servant threw it to the ground in an effort to stomp the fire out. "I mean you can't get much deader than dead, unless of course we killed him again!"

A bit stunned by his wording, Yzma raised an eyebrow. "I suppose…"

"Hey look!" Kronk announced awkwardly. "The royal dresser's here."

"Kronk?" Yzma asked.

The man ignored her, approaching the dresser. "I should tell you right now, I'm kinda hard to fit."

"Kronk," Yzma called out while approaching him.

"I wear a 66 long with a 31 waist," he explained.

Annoyed, Yzma kicked the dresser off the edge, the midget screaming whilst he fell.

"Kuzco IS dead, right?" she asked Kronk.

The youth awkwardly twiddled with his thumbs, leading Yzma to cup his face.

"Tell me Kuzco's dead!" Yzma commanded. "I need to hear these words!"

"But do you need to hear all those words exactly?" Kronk inquired.

Traumatized, Yzma's face burned red with rage. "He's still ALIVE?"

Recalling how he lost track of Kuzco when he hesitated to kill him earlier, Kronk awkwardly rubbed his shoulder. "Well, he's not as dead as we would have hoped."

"Yeah, I lost track of him in the marketplace," he explained. "Just thought I'd give you a heads up in case Kuzco ever came back."

"He can't come back!" Yzma insisted.

"Yeah, that would be kinda awkward…especially after that lovely eulogy…" Kronk agreed.

"Ya think?" Yzma yelled.

Not waiting for an answer, Yzma grabbed him by the collar. "You and I are going out to find him. If he talks, we're through! Now, let's move!"

"I wouldn't recommend it," a cocky voice called out. "You'll have more trouble than just some llama."

Searching for the voice, Kronk saw a portal of darkness rise from the ground. From it emerged a man dressed in a blue outfit with a red scarf. His one good eye was a menacing shade of yellow, while the other was covered by an eyepatch.

"Who are you?" Yzma asked.

"Your trump card," Braig responded with a devilish grin.

* * *

Sora mentally cursed his sore legs. Even with all his experience, he never had to walk for so long before.

"Why couldn't we have just used our Keyblade Riders?" the boy inquired.

"They're only designed to carry one person's weight," Aqua replied. "I learned that the hard way when I tried to save Terra."

Sora awkwardly looked down. "Sorry…I didn't mean to remind you of that."

The woman sincerely smiled. "It's fine, Sora."

Weary from walking himself, Pacha was relieved to see a familiar bridge up ahead. The structure's floor consisted of old wooden planks that looked as though they would break at any second. Just as they got closer to the bridge, a Behemoth appeared in their path.

"What is that?" Kuzco yelled.

Leaping into the air, Aqua landed on the other side of the Heartless. The maiden turned her head towards the two natives. "Pacha, Kuzco, get going! I'll hold him off for now!"

"Quickly!" Pacha exclaimed. "The palace is only an hour away from here!"

Stomping his feet as he rushed towards the other side, Pacha suddenly fell through the floor and found him suspended in a tangle of vines below the bridge.

"Kuzco!" the helpless man called out.

The llama tapped his chin in thought for a moment.

"Kuzco!" he yelled again.

The animal leaned his long neck towards Pacha. "Yeah?"

"Quick, help me up!" the peasant begged.

Grinning, Kuzco jumped over the hole in the bridge effortlessly. "No, I don't think I will."

"You're gonna leave me here?" he asked in shock.

The llama leaned down again, taunting the man. "Well I was gonna have you imprisoned for life, but I kinda like this better."

"I thought you were a changed man," Pacha said angrily.

Kuzco rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, I had to say SOMETHING to get you to take me back to the city."

"So all of it was a lie?" Pacha barked.

"Well yeah," the llama said. "No, wait…uh yeah, yeah it all was a lie."

The blue blood trotted away, confident he had finally won. Yet with every step he made on the bridge, its blanks grew weaker and weaker.

"WE SHOOK HANDS ON IT!" Pacha screamed at the top of his lungs.

Sneering with pride, Kuzco returned to the plank overlooking the peasant. "You know…the funny thing about shaking hands is…"

Kuzco clapped his hooves in front of Pacha. "You need HANDS!"

The llama turned his back to Pacha. "Okay…bye bye!"

Suddenly, the planks underneath Kuzco split into pieces, and the llama fell into a state of suspension similar to Pacha.

"Are you okay?" Pacha inquired. "Are you alright?"

Kuzco nodded. "Yeah, I'm alright."

"Good!" Pacha exclaimed.

The peasant punched the emperor, untangling him a bit from the vines. Kuzco oriented himself as if he were on a swingset, glaring at the man.

"That's for going back on your promise!" Pacha stated.

Angry, the llama kicked him back. "Yeah! And that's for kidnapping me and taking me to your village…which I'm still gonna DESTROY by the way."

Kuzco fearfully saw Pacha charging headfirst.

"No touchey…" Kuzco softly said.

Ignoring the arrogant animal, Pacha bumped his head directly into Kuzco, slamming the llama against the cliff's wall. The momentum carried Pacha back towards the other wall, leading him to quickly grab hold of a small indent in the rock.

"Why did I ever risk my life for a selfish brat like you?" Pacha asked out loud. "I was always taught there was some good in everyone but oh you proved me wrong!"

The llama feigned sadness in his face. "Oh boo-hoo, now I feel really bad…bad llama…"

"I could have let you die out in that jungle," Pacha reminded him. "And then all my problems would be over."

"Well that makes you ugly AND stupid," Kuzco countered.

Meanwhile, the pair saw the Behemoth fall off in the distance, evaporating in a puff of smoke upon hitting the bottom. Above, Sora and his friends rushed to the end of the bridge. Kairi immediately noticed the two were hanging below.

Rather than glare or fill his face with hatred, Pacha smirked a bit. "Let's end this!"

"Ladies first!" Kuzco insisted.

Yelling with determination, Pacha swung towards Kuzco. The llama did the same, intent on finally ridding himself of the peasant.

"Guys, stop it!" Sora demanded. "If you don't cut it out, you'll both fall!"

The two exchanged jabs and hits, clearly ignoring the boy's warning. Upon hearing a crack, they stopped to look up. The vines supporting them from the bridge snapped, leading the bridge's pieces to fall down along with the two natives. Aqua summoned a Magnega field, but the duo was too far away. They bounced off the cliff walls as the two ends narrowed. At the very edge of the parallel walls, Kuzco and Pacha were scrunched in place with their backs to each other. Looking down, Kuzco looked in horror to see a swarm of crocodiles gather in the lake below.

"How can we help them?" Sora asked.

Aqua aimed her Keyblade to the side of the rocky formation, slowly creating an icy slope leading down. "I'm working on it! Sora, Kairi, help me build a staircase."

Meanwhile, Pacha was developing his own plan as he spotted a loose vine above him.

"What are we gonna do?" Kuzco yelled. "We're gonna die!"

"No we're not!" he assured the llama. "Calm down. I have an idea."

Pacha rotated his left arm back. "Here, give me your arm."

Kuzco nervously did so, and Pacha firmly wrapped it around his arm.

"Now the other one!" the peasant ordered.

The emperor did likewise with his other arm, silently wondering what Pacha's plan was as Pacha took hold of that one too.

The peasant tilted himself up, which in turn moved Kuzco a bit. "When I say go, push against my back, and we'll walk up the hill. Ready?"

The llama shook his head no, yet Pacha ignored it anyway. "Go!"

Intent on making it to safety, the man pushed as hard as he could, yet that just crushed Kuzco against the rocks.

"Ow, you did that on purpose!" the llama whined.

In retaliation, Kuzco pushed against Pacha with all his strength, slamming him against the other wall.

"No I didn't!" the peasant insisted. "Now we're gonna have to work together to get out of this, so follow my lead!"

Still skeptical if he had pushed purposely, Kuzco eased on the force he was exerting against Pacha.

"Ready?" the peasant asked. "Right foot!"

"Whose right?" Kuzco asked. "Your right or my right?"

Pacha didn't understand why the emperor was even arguing over this. "I don't care…mine."

"Well why yours?" the animal inquired.

"Okay, your right!" the portly man agreed. "Ready?"

"Got it!" the llama said with a smile.

"Right, left!" Pacha said as he began walking with Kuzco. "Right, left."

The emperor smiled. "Hey look, we're moving!"

He looked down, and screamed at the sight of the gators. "AHHHHH!"

"Don't look down!" Pacha ordered. "Now stay with me…stay with me."

The pair continued walking, their bodies slowly growing apart. Finally, only their necks were touching, yet the rope was still out of reach.

"Now…what…genius?" Kuzco asked.

Suddenly, the pair saw a thick blanket of ice form underneath them. Kairi and Sora connected the ice to the opposite rock walls with Blizzaga.

"Quickly, walk up this staircase!" Kairi told them.

"Wow, walk on slippery ice…what a BRILLIANT idea…" the llama sarcastically remarked.

Surprisingly, the ice was made of a rough enough texture to prevent them from slipping. The group walked up the staircase, quickly arriving at the top of the mountain.

"Whew!" Kuzco said. "Finally got out of there."

Suddenly, they heard a crack, and the edge Pacha was standing on began to break.

"Look out!" Kuzco called out.

The llama extended his neck, biting Pacha's vest and reeling him back to safety. He watched the rock crumble into the river with a smile. "WHOO YEAH! Look at me and my bad self!"

He pointed to the peasant. "I snatched you out of the air!"

The royal animal turned back to the open air. "Oh I'm a crumbly canyon wall and I'm taking you with me…well not today pal!"

The Keyblade wielders stared in confusion as the animal began dancing…or at least the closest a llama could come to dancing. "Uh huh…uh huh, uh huh, uh huh!"

Pacha was not only shocked by what the cliff did, but more so by what Kuzco did. "You…just saved my LIFE…"

"Huh?" Kuzco said in surprise.

Pretending he didn't care, the llama apathetically gazed at the man. "So?"

Aqua saw through the disguise easily though. She could tell that Kuzco had been fully aware of what he was doing.

"I knew it!" Pacha asserted.

"Knew what?" the llama asked.

"That there is some good in you after all," Pacha responded.

"Oh no," Kuzco insisted.

The peasant pointed to him. "Admit it!"

"You're wrong," he said.

"Yes there is!" Pacha insisted.

"Nuh uh," Kuzco told him.

"I think there is," the man defiantly said.

"Nuh uh!" Kuzco exclaimed.

"Hey, you could have let me fall…" the man pointed out simply.

"Come on!" the llama yelled. "What's the big deal? Nobody's that heartless!"

Realizing he had just echoed what Pacha said earlier, Kuzco shut his mouth in shame. The humans smirked at him.

"That was nice of you, Kuzco!" Sora remarked. "I guess you have more light than I thought."

"Eh, don't read too much into it…it was a one-time thing…" the animal assured them.

The poor man smiled. "Right. Sure."

"Well…better get going," Pacha said. "With that bridge out, it's a 4 day walk to the palace."

Kuzco was shocked. "What? You're still taking me back?"

"I shook on it, didn't I?" Pacha replied.

"Well yeah," the llama answered. "But I hope you realize that doesn't change a thing. I'm still building Kuzcotopia when I get back."

While Aqua's eyes twitched at his selfishness, Pacha kept his smile. "Well, four days is a long time. Who knows…maybe you'll change your mind."

"Uh huh…" Kuzco said as they began walking.

The native duo went on ahead while the Keyblade warriors remained behind.

"Aqua, why don't we just repair the bridge with a spell?" Sora suggested.

"I would normally, but Kuzco's starting to change his ways," Aqua responded. "I wanna see if he'll decide to build his complex somewhere else. That way, Pacha's village will be safe, and this world will be ruled by a more compassionate monarch."

"That's a good idea, Aqua," Kairi agreed.

The trio began trailing behind Kuzco.

"Four days…" the llama muttered. "What are the chances of you carrying me, Pacha?"

"Not good," the man answered.

* * *

Angry and preoccupied, Yzma, Kronk, and Braig stepped out from a portal conjured by the dark sniper. She found herself in a disgusting jungle surrounded by fauna.

"Huh, not exactly the most scenic world," Braig muttered.

Suddenly, Yzma realized her shoes were trapped in the gooey mud. Trying to break free, she fell face-first on the liquid jungle floor. She glanced up to see a squirrel offering an acorn, yet since he was part of the jungle, the very sight of him disgusted her.

"Get away from me!" Yzma shrieked.

Frightened, the squirrel rushed into Kronk's arms. Standing on his hand, the creature said something in its native tongue, yet Kronk seemed to comprehend every syllable perfectly.

"Yeah, tell me about it," the man replied.

The squirrel spoke again, his words leading Kronk to shake his head. "No, no it's not you. She's not the easiest person to get close to. There's a wall there, trust me."

"Are you talking to that squirrel?" the woman asked.

"I was a junior chipmunk, and I had to converse with all the woodland creatures," Kronk explained.

The muscular man turned to the squirrel. "Please continue."

Braig scratched his head. "Wow, this kingdom is REALLY strange."

"Tell me about it," Yzma agreed. "Oh, why me?"

"Hey, it doesn't have to be all about you!" Kronk reminded her. "This poor little guy's had it rough. Seems a talking llama gave him a hard time the other day."

Upon hearing that, Yzma rushed to her assistant's side, frightening the chipmunk. "Really? A talking llama? Do tell!"

"Uh, how does that matter?" Kronk inquired.

Braig stepped forward. "Kronk, who's the only talking llama you know?"

Kronk tapped his chin. "Uh…I don't know any."

The sniper sighed. "Kuzco! Kuzco's a talking llama!"

"Well how do we know he can talk?" Kronk inquired.

The man nodded. "You have a point there."

"Forget logic right now!" Yzma exclaimed. "Kronk, ask him which way the talking llama went."

Exchanging a glance with the chipmunk, the strong man realized the critter was still fearful. "Uh, he doesn't want you near him. You scare him…beyond all reason apparently."

Braig snickered. "Glad I'm not alone here."

Growling, Yzma walked far away. "Is this far enough?"

The squirrel shook its head, leading her to go even further.

"How about this?" she yelled, her voice barely able to reach them.

Satisfied the squirrel nodded.

"Now ask him which way the talking llama went!" the woman demanded.

The squirrel pointed to its right, leading Braig to sinisterly smile and run in that direction. Kronk ran as well, except he was carrying Yzma on his back.

* * *

Inside of a diner, an impatient elderly waitress approached a strange group of five people.

"Welcome to Mudka's Meat Hut, home of the Mug of Meat…" she announced.

The waitress glanced at the woman wearing lipstick and a hat, or more accurately, Kuzco in disguise.

"What'll it be?" she asked.

Pacha glanced at her. "We'll have five specials."

The peasant turned to Kuzco. "Is that alright…dear?"

"Oh whatever you say pumpkin, you know what I like," Kuzco said while fanning himself.

Sora was having a hard time not laughing at the situation. Turning to his left, he could see that even the females were trying to resist giggling.

Pacha turned to the server. "We're on our honeymoon."

"Bless you for coming out in public," the waitress said. "Especially with three friends."

She walked into the kitchen, giving the group the green light to laugh. All of them hysterically began cracking up.

Pacha finally calmed down. "Okay, so I admit this was a good idea."

"When will you learn that all my ideas are good ones?" Kuzco inquired.

"Oh that's funny," the peasant remarked. "Because I thought that you going into the jungle by yourself, being chased by jaguars, lying to me to take you back to the palace…were all really BAD ideas."

"Oh, well anything sounds bad when you say it with that attitude," Kuzco responded.

The waitress returned with five plates, each adorned with a circular blue bug. "Five pill bugs for the happy couple."

She threw confetti in the air. "Masaltov."

Pacha smiled at the sight of the meal while the others stared in disgust. "Oh boy!"

The man poked the bug to reveal its liquid yellow insides. He proceeded to suck it out while the others stared in horror. Kuzco, naturally, was on the verge of puking.

"Here, let me get that for you!" Pacha said.

He poked open Kuzco's bug, and the emperor gagged at the sight. Too accustomed to his royal food, Kuzco stepped out from his seat.

"Where are you going?" the man asked.

"I'm just going into the kitchen to have a word with the chef," the disguised llama replied.

"You're gonna get us thrown out," Pacha stated.

Kuzco smiled. "Please. With this disguise, I'm invisible."

He walked into the kitchen, and at the same time, three newcomers sat in the table next to the heroes. Sora looked in shock to see Braig looking toward a muscular associate.

"Aqua, Kairi, look!" the boy whispered.

They were stunned to see him, yet Aqua glared at him. "I'll take care of this."

She confidently walked pass the table. Her eyes locked with Braig's yellow orbs, and the man smirked a bit at the sight of her.

"I'll be right back," he said to Yzma.

* * *

The man stepped outside behind the water warrior, his hand itching for a fight. After taking a few more steps, Aqua turned around wielding her Brightcrest Keyblade.

"Okay Braig, it's time we finished this," she stated.

The man smiled. "Well aren't you eager? And here I thought we could be friends. After all, we have so much in common."

"We have NOTHING in common," she barked.

"That's not entirely true," the man assured her. "You see…"

Braig held out his hand, dark flames coursing through his fingers. Slowly they took on the shape of a hilt with the same design as his crossbow. From the hilt rose a purple colored blade with three perpendicular sharp spikes at the tip. Aqua stared in shock while Braig grinned, his yellow eyes filled with enthusiasm.

"We're both Keyblade wielders!"

* * *

Inside the diner, Yzma was sighing to herself. "We've been walking around in circles for who knows how long! That is the LAST time we take directions from a squirrel. Oh, I should have done away with Kuzco myself when I had the chance."

At the sound of this, Pacha began choking on his food, his back turned to Kronk.

Despite the situation being his fault, Kronk shook his head at Yzma's complaint. "Ah, you've got to stop beating yourself up about that."

Angered by his incompetence and stupidity, Yzma bent her fork.

"Uh oh, I'll get you another one there, Yzma," the muscular man said.

Pacha, sweating with fear, felt somebody tap his shoulder. He turned to find himself face to face with Kronk.

"Yo, you using that fork, pal?" the sidekick inquired.

Turning his head away nervously, Pacha handed him the utensil. Kronk, feeling the man looked familiar, studied him carefully.

"Hey, don't I know you?" the assistant asked.

"Uh, I don't think so," Pacha responded.

"Wrestled you in high school!" Kronk guessed.

"I don't remember that," Pacha replied.

"Oh, metal show?" Kronk asked.

"Uh, no," the peasant said.

"I got it!" Kronk exclaimed. "Miss Narka's interpretive dance, two semesters. I was usually in the back because of my weak ankles."

He realized that the stranger still wasn't looking at him.

"Hey, come on, pal, you gotta help me out here!" Kronk told him.

"Uh no, I don't think we've ever met, but I gotta go!" Pacha sputtered.

The peasant leapt to his feet and rushed into the kitchen to find Kuzco.

"Don't worry!" Kronk called out. "I'll think of it."

The man turned to Sora and Kairi, who slightly smiled at him.

"So…how long have you two been dating?" Kronk asked.

Blushing the two shook their heads.

"No, we're not dating," Sora responded.

"Anymore, that is…" Kairi said with a glare.

"Uh oh, looks like someone's in trouble, haha," Kronk stated before turning around.

Sora sighed. "Look, Kairi, if you're still hurt over that, I could-"

"Just forget it, Sora," she said.

The boy guiltily turned away, still regretting breaking up with her.

* * *

In the kitchen, Kuzco was lecturing the chef, who just happened to have low self-esteem. "All I'm saying is this food looks iffy, alright, and I'm not the only one who thinks that I'm sure."

Pacha opened the door, turning his attention toward the llama. "Hey, hey!"

Kuzco didn't seem to hear him, and kept his focus on the chef. "So I'm just making sure that you're going to take the main course UP a notch."

"Is there anything on this menu that isn't swimming in gravy?" Yzma asked herself.

Sora turned to Kairi. "She's got a point actually."

"She's with Braig, Sora," Kairi whispered. "Just don't talk to her."

Back in the kitchen, Kuzco continued berating the cook. "It's a simple question. Is there or is there not anything edible on this menu?"

Pacha pulled him toward the door, but realized Kronk was about to enter. Quickly, he rushed to the closet on the other side with Kuzco.

"Hey, I didn't ask him about dessert yet!" Kuzco called out while being shoved.

The peasant slammed the door shut fearfully just before Kronk arrived.

"Hey pal, what's your policy on making special orders?" he asked the chef.

The chef was infuriated. "Alright buster, that's it! You wanna special order, then YOU make it. I QUIT!"

He threw his hat on Kronk as he began packing his things. "You know I try and I try…there's just no respect for anyone with vision…that's it, there's just nothing I can do about it."

The man walked out, ignoring Kronk's presence. Kronk heard a bell and turned to see the waitress giving an order. "Ordering! Four combos with bacon on the side, two chili cheese sandwiches, a basket of liver and onion rings, a catch of the day and a steak cut in the shape of a trout."

Dumbfounded, Kronk stared at the woman.

"You got all that, honey?" she asked.

The man narrowed his eyes. "Three oinkers wearing pants, plate of hot air, basket of grandma's breakfast, and change the bull into a gill. Got it!"

* * *

In the closet, Kuzco looked at Pacha in confusion. "What's going on?"

"There's no time to explain!" the peasant exclaimed. "We gotta get out of here."

He opened the window. "Come on!"

"In a minute, I'm still hungry," the llama replied.

"No, Kuzco!" Kronk harshly whispered.

Not even noticing Kronk was the chef, the emperor walked by. "Okay, I'll make it simple for you. I'll have a spinach omelet with wheat toast. You got it?"

The new cook didn't even spare him a glance. "Can do!"

Pacha tiptoed out of the closet, yet dived under the table when Yzma walked in.

"What's taking so long?" the woman retorted.

Not paying attention to her, Kronk put his first order on the server's window, ringing the bell. "Pick up!"

"KRONK!" she yelled. "What are you doing?"

"Kinda busy here," he responded.

He reached underneath the table for something. Worried he'd be caught, Pacha handed him a ladel. Satisfied that he had what he needed, Kronk took his arm out from underneath the table.

"Why am I not surprised?" she asked out loud.

"Yo, order's up!" Kronk said

The woman grinded her teeth with rage. "Oh well. While you're at it, give me the special. And hold the gravy!"

"Check," the chef responded.

He placed another order in the window. "Pickup!"

At the same moment, Kuzco walked back into the room. "You know what, make my omelet a meat pie."

"Meat pie, check!" Kronk agreed.

Pacha came out from below the table, but saw Yzma coming through the door. Quickly, Pacha took the stance of a statue behind him to blend in.

"Kronk, can I order the potatoes as a side dish?" the villainess asked.

"I'm gonna have to charge you full price," the cook simply answered.

Just as Yzma exited the right door, Kuzco entered the left door. Since the hinges were in the middle, neither saw the other.

"Hey, how about a side of potatoes, buddy?" Kuzco asked.

"You got it!" Kronk said in compliance.

Yzma walked back into the room, yet the chef was still focused on the emperor's order. "You want cheese on those potatoes?"

"Thank you, Kronk, cheddar will be fine," she replied.

She exited through the right door, and Kuzco entered through the left one.

"Cheddar spuds coming up!" Kronk announced.

"Spuds yes, cheese no," the emperor stated.

"Hold the cheese," Kronk said with obedience.

Just as he said it, Yzma walked back into the room. "No, I want the cheese!"

Kronk, who still hadn't turned around, continued changing the same order. "Cheese it is."

Of course, when he said that, Kuzco walked back in. "Cheese me no likey!"

"Cheese out!" the chef agreed.

Yzma, who had just walked back in, glared a bit. "Cheese in!"

"Aw come on, make up your mind!" Kronk exclaimed.

Kuzco popped his head through the door. "Okay, okay…on second thought…"

Yzma popped her head through the other door.

"Make my potatoes a salad," they said in unison.

Kuzco didn't hear her, and merely walked back to his table. Yzma, on the other hand, was confused at first as to why she heard someone else talking. None the less, she approached her table. If Kuzco hadn't been holding up his menu, she would have had a clear view of him.

Coincidentally, when Kuzco put down his menu, she put hers up, and they alternated again. Sora and Kairi watched with awe.

"Wow…this is really weird…" Sora remarked.

"Sora, we have to do something!" Kairi whispered. "She wants to KILL him!"

"Please, that hag barely looks like she's in any condition for that!" Sora assured her.

After taking a quick drink, both Yzma and Kuzco put up their menus. Pacha stepped out of the kitchen, and whispered something to the waitress.

"No problem hun, we do that ALL the time," she responded.

Yzma looked over her menu towards the "woman" sitting at the other table. And for some reason, she felt like they had met before.

Her train of thought was broken by the sound of voices. "ONE TWO THREE FOUR!"

She turned around to see a group of people holding a birthday cake and throwing confetti.

"AH!" Yzma yelped.

"HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FROM ALL OF US TO YOU!" the restaurant servers sang. "WE WISH IT WAS OUR BIRTHDAY, SO WE COULD PARTY TOO!"

As they were singing, Pacha grabbed Kuzco and rushed out the main entrance. Sora and Kairi promptly followed him. At this point, Yzma was angered by the practical joke and the sombrero they placed on her head.

"HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAY ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE. WE WISH IT WAS OUR BIRTHDAY, SO WE COULD PARTY TOO. YAYYYYYY!"

Kronk stepped out of the kitchen laughing with glee. "haha…it's your birthday?"

* * *

Outside, Sora and Kairi spotted Aqua locking blades with Braig in the background.

"He's got a KEYBLADE now?" Sora said in shock.

The warriors rushed towards their master to help. Pacha, on the other hand, kept pushing Kuzco. "Come on, we gotta move!"

"What's your problem?" Kuzco demanded.

"Look, there's two people in there looking for you!" Pacha explained.

Pacha used his hands to describe them. "A big guy an a skinny old woman."

Kuzco raised an eyebrow. "Wait, was this woman scary beyond all reason?"

"Oh yeah!" Pacha told him.

"That's Yzma and Kronk!" Kuzco said in relief.

The llama wiped off his female makeup. "I'm saved!"

Pacha grabbed him. "Trust me, they're NOT here to save you!"

Kuzco didn't seem to hear him. "They can take me back to the palace! Hey, thanks for the help, you've been great. I can take it from here…"

As the emperor began walking away, Pacha blocked his path. "No, no, you don't understand! They're trying to kill you!"

"Kill me?" Kuzco asked in confusion. "Their whole world revolves around me!"

Pacha grabbed him. "No, I can't let you!"

"What?" Kuzco asked.

Then, the llama's gears began to spin in thought. "Oh…oh now I get it!"

"What?" Pacha asked in genuine confusion.

"You don't want to take me back to the palace!" Kuzco deduced. "You wanna keep me stranded out here…forever!"

"No, no!" Pacha insisted.

"This has all been an act…and I almost fell for it!" the llama said in shock.

"Would you just LISTEN?" the peasant asked.

Kuzco glared at him. "No, no…YOU listen to me. All you care about is your stupid hilltop."

"What?" Pacha said with genuine puzzlement.

"You don't care about me!" Kuzco said. "Now just get out of here!"

"But I-" Pacha started saying.

"Go on, get out of here!" Kuzco demanded.

Tired of fighting with the selfish emperor, Pacha mirrored the glare. "FINE!"

Satisfied, Kuzco rushed in the other direction after Yzma and Kronk, hiding in a log behind them.

"Uh, this is all YOUR fault!" she said to Kronk.

"What did I do?" the assistant asked.

"If you hadn't mixed up those poisons, Kuzco would be dead now!" Yzma explained.

Still in shock, Kuzco glanced to his right to notice Braig rolling out of the way of a fire blast. Yzma glanced at the three heroes in understanding.

"Ah, so you must be the ones he was referring to," she remarked. "You hardly look like a challenge. And besides, the odds are evenly matched."

Suddenly, something stomped down on the hag. She looked up to see Kuzco standing on her. "Guess again!"

"KUZCO!" she yelled.

The llama rushed beside the heroes. Braig merely chuckled. "It doesn't matter WHAT you three do. As long as Kuzco stays like that, there's no way anyone will believe he's emperor, talking llama or not!"

The man opened a dark portal. "This mission was hopeless long before your trio got involved, Aqua. And without the human potion, Kuzco will never return to normal."

Smiling, the villains stepped into the portal, but Kuzco raced after them.

"Get back here!" he screamed.

The Keyblade wielders followed suit. Just as they entered, the dark portal remained open. Pacha approached the portal, studying it cautiously before turning away to look at his hilltop.

* * *

Kuzco and the fighters emerged in a dark chamber.

"Ah, the old secret lab," Kuzco said. "Pull the lever, Sora!"

After an awkward moment of silence, Sora looked around. "What lever?"

"Oh, right…we're already inside…" Kuzco muttered.

"And already too late!" a shrill voice called out.

They turned to see Yzma holding a potion in her hand.

"Now, back to business, Kuzco," she said.

The blue blood nervously chuckled. "Okay I admit it…maybe I wasn't as nice as I should have been. But Yzma, do you really wanna KILL ME?"

She sadistically smiled. "Just think of it as…you're being let go…that your life's going in a different direction…that your body's part of a permanent outplacement."

Kuzco breathed heavily with fear.

"Hey, that's kinda like what he said to you when you got fired!" Kronk pointed out.

"I know, it's called a cruel irony," she said. "Like my dependence on you."

"I can't believe this is happening!" Kuzco said in shock.

Yzma grabbed the bottom of her dress. "Then I bet you weren't expecting…THIS!"

"NO!" the others screamed in horror. Everyone else, even Braig, was covering their eyes. Luckily, Yzma was merely grabbing a knife underneath her outfit.

"Ah ha!" she said.

The others breathed a sigh of relief. She tossed the knife to Kronk. "Ha ha…finish them off…"

Aqua stepped in front of the llama. "If you even TRY to hurt him, anything you use will be deflected right back at you."

Kuzco smiled. "You mean…you're gonna help me after all."

She nodded. "Of course. I mean, how could I leave you? Nobody's that heartless…"

Kuzco frowned. "Okay, that phrase is starting to get butchered…"

Meanwhile, Kronk was contemplating over his decision.

"Hey, you're not backing down now, are you big guy?" a voice called out.

For some reason, only Kronk heard the voice. He turned to his left to see a small version of himself wearing a red bodysuit with evil wings and horns standing on his shoulder.

"Uh, where's the other guy?" Kronk asked.

On his right shoulder, an angelic version of himself with a halo, white gown, and wings appeared out of thin air. He was busy reading something.

"YO!" Kronk barked.

The angel took his professional stance with his harp. "Sorry I'm late. So, what did I miss?"

"Well Yzma just tossed me this knife and asked me to…you know…take them out…" Kronk explained.

While he spoke to the imaginary creatures, the others only saw him talking to himself. Yzma pointed in confusion, looking to Kuzco and Pacha for an answer. Just as puzzled as her, the two shrugged.

"Is he insane or something?" Braig whispered to the old woman.

Kronk continued talking. "And then this guy popped up and…you know…and then you…quite honestly-"

"KRONK!" Yzma yelled.

The real Kronk, as well as the imaginary ones, turned to her. "Why did I think that you could do this? This one simple thing. It's like I'm talking to a monkey!"

"Whoa now!" the angel said.

She didn't hear it. "A really, really big stupid monkey named Kronk."

"Ouch," the devil said.

"And you want to know something else?" Yzma asked. "I never liked your spinach puffs!"

The Kronks gasped while Yzma smiled. "NEVER!"

The angel tried to console Kronk while the devil pumped back his pitchfork. "That's it…she's going down!"

"Now, now, remember guys…from above, the wicked shall receive their just reward," the angel reminded them.

The three looked up, seeing a burning chandelier conveniently above Yzma.

"That'll do it," the Kronks said together.

Aiming the knife, Kronk threw it at the rope suspending the decoration. The chandelier fell down towards Yzma, the metal about to take her out.

Unexpectedly, Yzma was standing in the chandelier's center hole when it landed, perfectly safe from harm.

"Strange…that usually works," the muscular man noted.

"And so does THIS!" Yzma exclaimed.

The hag pulled a lever resembling a potion, opening the floor panel beneath Kronk.

"Huh…should have seen that coming…" he muttered.

The man fell down, screaming for his life. While Yzma smiled victoriously, the heroes approached her. Confident, she held up the potion.

"One more step and I break the vial, rendering it useless!" she threatened.

The heroes stopped.

"Think again, Yzma!" a voice called out.

The woman turned around to see a fist rip the vial from her hand. Kuzco smiled at the sight of whom the fist belonged to.

"Pacha!" he joyfully exclaimed.

The two rushed towards each other. Kuzco suddenly looked guilty. "Hey, Pacha, about what I said back at the diner…I…"

Pacha held up his hand. "Don't worry. I understand."

The two smiled, but Braig ruined the reunion upon grabbing the vial. The free shooter rushed towards the potion cabinet, and spilled them. The vials rolled on the floor, and Braig rolled the human potion with them.

"Whoops!" he said. "Which one COULD it be?"

Pacha and Kuzco nervously began looking at the potions, trying to find some sort of distinct difference in appearance. Yzma, on the other hand, pulled a string sounding an alarm.

"Better hurry!" she said. "I'm expecting company!"

From three different gates, all of Kuzco's royal guards poured in. The men were holding sharp metallic weapons in their hands.

"Kill them!" Empress Yzma demanded. "They murdered the emperor!"

Kuzco watched in horror at his former guards racing for him.

"No, wait, I'm the emperor!" Kuzco claimed. "It's me, Kuzco!"

The guards ignored him, worrying him even more.

"They're not listening to me!" the llama said fearfully.

Pacha began gathering them in his vest like a pouch. "Just take them all!"

Sora, Kairi, and Kuzco helped put the rest of the potions in the pouch. Just as the guards were about to corner them, Pacha knocked over a table of potions, turning all the guards into animals.

Yzma approached the creatures. "GET THEM!"

"Hey, I've been turned into a cow," one guard said. "Can I go home?"

Yzma pointed the other way. "You're excused."

As the cow ran off, she looked at the rest of the animals. "Anyone else?"

"No, we're good," they all agreed.

"Get them!" Yzma ordered again.

As the guards chased after Kuzco and Pacha, Aqua glanced toward her apprentices.

"Go protect them!" she said. "I'll take care of Braig."

As Sora and Kairi rushed off, Aqua noticed Yzma run past her. Ignoring the old woman, Aqua glared at Braig.

"You know, Aqua, this could be the last time we face each other," Braig said.

She smiled. "I hope you're right. I'm getting sick of your ugly face."

"Such hostility!" he said with feigned sadness. "And I was going to tell you the truth about Terra."

The woman glared at him. "What do you mean?"

"Come on…doesn't it seem strange to you?" he asked. "You left him in this realm ten years ago. And when you saved him, he was possessed by someone, right?"

"How do you know this?" Aqua asked.

"Because I've met the possessor," Braig replied. "And here's the sad truth…Terra's gone…for good."

Aqua gritted her teeth in anger, feeling flames dance around her. Suddenly, three pillars of fire erupted around the girl. "YOU LIAR!"

She charged toward the sniper, eyes burning to kill. Impressed with her attack, Braig merely teleported out of harm's way. He reappeared a few feet away, noticing that the woman was still charging at him. He summoned his Keyblade, creating a unique reflect shield with a design similar to his crystals. Yet Aqua easily broke through, burning and searing the man's outfit. Leaping into the air, Braig teleported on to a high ledge, creating a dark sphere with his Keyblade. From the sphere, a barrage of his red crystals shot toward Aqua, each one sharp enough to pierce through her in less than a second.

In response to the sphere, the Keyblade Master made one of her own. Her ball of fire began to shoot countless fireballs, each one dissipating Braig's crystals. Braig teleported beside Aqua, and slammed his blade against hers. The two exchanged another strike, neither one gaining the edge as they stood in deadlock. Aqua's pillars of fire suddenly began to tilt, pounding against Braig's body. The shooter was knocked back, and looked up just as Aqua prepared to deliver the final blow. He held up his Keyblade in defense, blocking her blade once more, and teleported into the air.

Aqua gazed around, not seeing a sign of her opponent. Then, she heard a crystal break against her fiery pillar. She turned to see Braig's hands appearing and disappearing everywhere at once, launching salvos of shards from every possible angle. Aqua took a deep breath, and her pillars spun even faster, forming a complete sphere of fire around her. Unafraid, she walked towards where Braig was standing. Nervous, he began to shoot faster, yet it had no success. The woman dug her heels against the ground, holding back her Keyblade. She aimed it towards Braig, launching a growing inferno of fire.

Fearing for his life, Braig teleported as fast as he could. Yet suddenly, the man found himself cornered at a wall. He turned to see the burning embers charging toward him. Just before they made contact, the freeshooter teleported once more, appearing behind Aqua. He struck towards the girl, yet she reacted quickly enough to guard his move. Her expression still angry, Aqua pressed her Brightcrest against his Quickshot, slowly forcing him back. Sparks flew between the metal as the heat traveled like a conduit through his Keyblade. His hands began to burn, and Braig dropped his Keyblade in response to the heat.

"OW!" he yelled.

Just as the weapon fell, Aqua swung for his head, barely missing the sickening man as he flipped backward. While in midair, Braig summoned his Keyblade once more, ignoring the warm feel of the handles. He glared at the girl, and aimed his Keyblade toward her. A huge crystal, bigger than him, began to grow at the tip of his weapon. Just as she went in front of him, he released the shot. Yet she didn't back down. She kept walking forward, the flames spinning faster than ever. Braig watched the crystal touch the flames, expecting it to explode and knock her unconscious.

Instead, the flames seemed to guide it like a sun guides a planet, and the shot was redirected towards the sniper. He dived to the floor, barely evading the blast as he soared over his head. Glancing up, he saw Aqua blasting a small fireball towards him. He jumped up, but when the spark hit the ground, it erupted into a huge burst of fire soaring vertically toward Braig. Aqua blasted the rest of her fire towards him as well. The flames overtook him, draining the little stamina he had left.

"GAHH!" the man cried out.

Unable to muster the strength to teleport, Braig fell against the ground, defeated. Aqua stood over him, her flames finally gone. The man glared at her.

"Do it…" he muttered. "Go ahead and finish me off. I know you want to."

"Not until you tell me the truth about Terra," she said.

He chuckled. "Trust me, you don't want to hear the whole truth. It's heartbreaking really. But rest assured…Terra ended up turning into a monster…two monsters really."

"That's not true!" Aqua said in denial.

Braig laughed. "Fine, don't believe me. Just keep pretending that he's fine. Have you even considered that over eleven years have passed here and yet you haven't seen head or hide of your precious lover?"

"How did you know that?" she asked.

The man laughed. "Call it a lucky guess. Terra's body, after all, was just as obsessed with you as he was…"

"Enough cryptic words!" she ordered. "Tell me where Terra is!"

"It doesn't matter where he is," Braig replied. "All that matters is where he WILL BE. And that's something even I don't know. I'm just one of Xehanort's seeds."

Aqua noticed Braig's feet evaporating into darkness. She realized his time for the world was limited. "Just tell me who it was. Who possessed Terra?"

Braig laughed. "Seriously? And here I thought you'd be smart enough to figure that out."

The man glanced to see his torso slowly evaporating. "It's been a pleasure, Aqua. Your looks are just as sharp as your fighting skills."

She growled. "Just die already."

The rest of Braig vanished into darkness. Yet this time, unlike when he was a Nobody, he truly was no more. The man had been brought to the highest level of strength and completely destroyed.

Aqua took out her charm, the one she had held on to for over a decade. "Terra…"

The woman began to cry to herself, worried over what had become of her friend. And slowly, as the anger from her heart melted into sorrow, the small darkness within her began to fade. Before crying again, Aqua noticed a Keyhole on the wall behind the potion cabinet. She aimed her weapon at it, locking at as her tears resumed.

* * *

Sora, Kairi, Kuzco, and Pacha rushed down a staircase away from the guards.

"I'll change you back!" Pacha said. "Try this one!"

Kuzco drank the potion, turning into a turtle. "Uh, Pacha?"

Pacha turned to see the emperor as an even more helpless animal. He picked him up and continued running ahead. Sora and Kairi stayed behind, and aimed their Keyblades at the guards.

"Graviga!" they shouted together.

The guards were thrown away from them, slammed against the walls. Satisfied, Kairi and Sora continued running with the other two. The four ran down a staircase, narrowly avoiding an octopus swinging an axe toward them. The four slid down the smooth part of the staircase, yet noticed another group of guards at the bottom. Pacha grabbed another potion.

"Oh please be something with wings," he muttered.

Kuzco drank the potion, and began flying the other three to safety as they held on.

"Yeah, we're flying!" he shouted.

Suddenly, he realized that he was barely a few inches big, not nearly enough to keep carrying their weight.

"Uh oh," he said softly.

The four heroes fell to the ground, and upon seeing dozens of guards behind them, rushed towards the bridge ahead.

"We're not gonna get anywhere with you picking the vials!" Kuzco exclaimed. "I'm picking the next one!"

"Fine by me!" Pacha agreed.

"Just hurry!" Sora said.

He and Kairi sealed the entrance with ice. Pacha gave Kuzco the new potion, and suddenly he was a huge whale.

"Don't you say a word," Kuzco demanded.

The bridge collapsed, and the four fell into the water. On the artificial shore near the river, Yzma and the guards rushed towards them.

"Quick, drain the canals!" the woman ordered.

"Oh no you don't!" Sora said as he aimed his Keyblade.

He launched a lightning attack, and the opponents were shocked with electricity. Although the guards were injured, Yzma was only angered. Just as Sora prepared another attack with Kairi, Pacha gave Kuzco another potion. The three humans fell, and Kuzco emerged from the water as a llama.

"Yay, I'm a llama again!" the emperor exclaimed.

Suddenly, he realized what he just said. "Wait…"

Choosing to act rapidly, Yzma pulled a lever, sending the group swirling down the drain.

* * *

The royal palace was unique in design. The palace itself was a giant head with the emperor's crown on it. From the nose of the head, water poured out from the canal system as Kuzco and company held on to the nostrils for dear life.

High above the group, Yzma saw them struggling to hold their grip. "There they go! After them!"

A guard transformed into a lizard turned to them. "Come on, men! Nobody lives forever!"

The guards jumped down the nostril, yet lost their grip completely and fell down. As they emerged from the nose, Sora and the others were climbing on the outside of the structure. The four managed to make it on the long ledge above the nose. Yzma tied herself to a curtain on the inside, and using it as a bungee cord, emerged from the nose. She held on to it, and ran up the side of the face in a counterclockwise direction toward the group.

Pacha took out the two remaining potions. "Okay, we got two left. It's gotta be one of these!"

Out of nowhere, Yzma dropped down and knocked the two apart. In doing so, she caused Sora and Kairi to lose their balance. Kairi held on to Sora, who tried to hold on to the ledge for dear life.

"I…can't…hold on!" he yelled.

His hand slipped, and the two heroes fell. As they did, both activated their Keyblade riders just before hitting the ground. The boy glanced back toward the top.

"I think they have this covered," he said. "Let's go make sure Aqua's alright."

Nodding in agreement, Kairi followed him back up the nostril.

Yzma and Kuzco struggled for the potions, and the elderly woman fell back on one of them. The vial exploded, covering everything in smoke. A sinister face appeared in the smoke, resembling that of a panther. When it cleared, Yzma was revealed to be a small gray kitten. Smiling, Kuzco grabbed the vial.

"I'll take that!" he said.

"This is the one!" Pacha said gladly. "This will change you back to a human."

Just as Kuzco tried to open it, Yzma jumped on his face, claws and teeth blazing. As the feline scratched him endlessly, Pacha rushed over to his aid, only to have the cat scratch his arm. Harmed and caught off balance, Pacha fell, his fingers barely grabbing hold of the stone head's eye. Realizing Yzma was on his head, Kuzco crushed her against the wall. He looked below to see Pacha hanging on for dear life.

"Drink the potion!" Pacha yelled.

"Okay, okay!" Kuzco agreed.

He looked at his hoof, yet realized the vial was gone. "huh? Where did it go? Where is it?"

"Looking for this?" a squeaky voice asked.

Kuzco turned to see kitty Yzma holding it. The cat looked surprised.

"Is that my voice?" she asked.

The feline coughed a bit. "Is that MY voice?"

"No, no!" Kuzco begged. "Don't drop it!"

"I'm not going to drop it, you fool!" Yzma said. "I'm going to drink it! And once I turn back into my beautiful self I'm going to KILL YOU!"

Yzma bit the cork on the vial, yet despite all her effort couldn't get it loose. Frustrated, she threw it against the wall. The potion bounced off the edge, and she walked after it. When it was already too late, she realized she was in midair.

"Uh oh," she said.

Screaming, Yzma fell to the depths below, while the potion landed on a ledge below Kuzco and above Pacha. The llama rushed for the potion, yet realized Pacha was slipping.

"OH!" Pacha screamed. "Kuzco!"

"Be right there," he said. "Give me a minute!"

One of Pacha's hands slipped. "Kuzco!"

The emperor reached for the vial, and almost had it.

"KUZCO!" Pacha screamed.

Finally Pacha's fingers slipped.

"NOOOOOOO!" the man shrieked.

Just as he lost his grip, a pair of hooves caught his hand. Relieved that he was safe, Pacha noticed the vial fall off.

"The vial!" the peasant said while pointing to it.

Kuzco watched it fall down. The potion fell, just as Yzma was continuing to fall. Below Yzma, a trampoline salesman was arguing with a guard.

"For the LAST TIME, we did NOT order a giant trampoline!" the guard said.

"You know pal, you could have told me that BEFORE I set it up," the man said.

Yzma landed in the trampoline, her momentum immediately reversed as she was launched back into the air. As she ascended in the air, she caught the human potion. Kuzco and Pacha saw her rise toward the sky, laughing as she held the glass. Suddenly, she was flattened headfirst against a ledge high above. The vial rested on a ledge shortly above Pacha and Kuzco. Conveniently, it was on a ledge overlooking two parallel walls close to each other.

The man looked up. "The vial!"

When he noticed the structure of the walls, he smiled at Kuzco. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

The two grabbed hold of each other's arms, and slowly walked up the wall. Yzma recovered from the disorientation, and realized what they were doing. She began leaping down each step toward her treasured potion. As they reached the top of the wall, Kuzco pushed against Pacha, getting the peasant close enough to snatch the vial. But before he could, Yzma grabbed it. She laughed, and jumped to a higher ledge nearby.

The kitten pointed to the potion. "I win."

Suddenly, a circle on the wall near Yzma rotated 180 degrees, slamming the cat in the face. Kronk had popped out of the secret entrance.

"Whoa!" Kronk said in surprise.

The potion fell, right into Pacha's hand.

"Got it!" the peasant said with pride.

Kuzco smiled with excitement, happy he was finally going to return to normal.

"What are the odds that trapdoor would lead me out here?" Kronk asked.

Pacha climbed to the ledge above, taking Kuzco with him. The two hugged, but upon realizing how affectionate they were being, broke the embrace and awkwardly looked away from each other.

"Here, uh, let me get that for you," Pacha said.

He unscrewed the cork, handing it to Kuzco.

The emperor smiled. "Well, see ya on the other side."

He drank the potion, and a bright red and white flash emitted from it.

* * *

Sora and Kairi walked in the secret lab to find a surprising sight. Their master, the strongest person they had ever met, was sitting on the floor, her face streamed with tears.

"Aqua!" Sora called out.

They rushed over, and the woman looked at them, trying to calm herself.

"Oh…hey guys," she said. "Sorry you had to see me like this. Normally I don't get this upset."

Sora and Kairi sat next to her.

"Where's Braig?" the young girl asked.

"Gone…for good," her master replied.

Kairi widened her eyes in shock. "Wow. At least he's taken care of."

"Aqua…what did he do?" Sora asked. "How did he bring you to tears?"

"He started saying things about Terra," the woman responded. "Braig was saying how Terra was really gone and that I wouldn't find him."

"Don't listen to him!" Kairi exclaimed. "He's trying to trick you."

The Keyblade Master shook her head. "But everything he said made sense. I saved Terra over eleven years ago, and yet we haven't even found a trace of him yet. For all we know, he might be gone forever."

Sora sat next to her. "Aqua…try to see the hope in all this. I know it's tough to believe, but someone like Terra wouldn't just be gone. I'm sure he's out there…somewhere. We just need to keep looking."

Aqua glanced at her pupil, and then back to her charm. "I made this charm. And when I did, I enchanted it with a spell…a bond that would ensure that Terra, Ven, and I all see each other again, regardless of how or when."

"And who knows," Kairi said. "You might even see him sooner than you think."

Aqua nodded. "You're right. Thank you…both of you."

She hugged her students, and they hugged back. Suddenly, they turned their heads at the sound of footsteps. Pacha entered the room with a skinny teenager next to him. Immediately, Sora realized who it had to be.

"Kuzco!" he exclaimed. "You're back to normal!"

Sora hugged the emperor, but Kuzco lightly pushed him away. "Sorry, but still no touchey."

Kuzco noticed that Pacha seemed depressed about something. He noticed that Pacha was staring at the model of his village Yzma had stolen, which quickly made Kuzco realized why he was upset.

"So…you lied to me," Kuzco stated.

The man was genuinely confused. "I did?"

The emperor nodded. "Yeah. You said that when the sun hits this ridge just right, these hills sing. Well pal, I was dragged ALL over those hills, and I did not hear any singing."

Confused at first, Pacha smiled when he realized what his friend was doing.

"So…I'll be building my summer home on a more MAGICAL hill…thank you," Kuzco said while grabbing the Kuzcotopia part of the diorama.

Pacha chuckled. "Couldn't pull the wool over your eyes, huh?"

"No, no I'm sharp, I'm on it!" Kuzco replied. "Looks like you and your family are stuck on a tuneless hilltop forever, pal."

Pacha smiled at Kuzco, and the emperor took a seat next to him on Yzma's bench.

Aqua grinned. "Amazing. Just by meeting someone as good as Pacha, Kuzco turned into a wonderful person. That just shows how powerful the light is. It spreads like fire and warmly embraces everyone."

Tapping his chin, Pacha pointed to the other hill on the diorama.

"You know…I'm pretty sure I heard some singing on the hill next to us," he mentioned.

Kuzco was intrigued by that prospect.

"In case you're interested," Pacha said with a shrug.

* * *

On a bright sunny afternoon, Kuzco emerged from a small hut in swim trunks.

"Ha!" he exclaimed. "Boom baby!"

From another house, Pacha, Sora, Kairi, and Aqua emerged in their own bathing suits.

"Boom baby!" the group exclaimed together.

The five of them rushed down the hill towards a waterfall. On his way, Kuzco passed a midget with an afro.

"Theme song guy!" Kuzco ordered.

The man nodded, and began singing as the group rode down a water slide.

"**You could be the coolest kid in the nation…or the hippest cat in creation…but if you ain't got friends then nothing's worth the fight!"**

As he emerged from the lake, Kuzco hugged Pacha's wife upon receiving a smaller version of Pacha's vest.

"**A perfect world will come to thee…but everybody here can see…that a perfect world begins and ends…"**

Pacha rushed next to them, receiving a hug from Kuzco and a kiss from his wife. The Keyblade warriors rushed next to them, along with Pacha's kids and the other villagers, as well as the theme song guy.

"…**a perfect world begins and ends…A PERFECT WORLD BEGINS AND ENDS WITH US!"

* * *

**

In front of a new group of youthful Junior Chipmunk rangers, Kronk was leading a lesson with his squirrel friend.

"My acorn is missing," Kronk said.

"Squeak-squeaking-squeak-squeakiddy," the kids repeated in the language of the squirrel.

"Did you eat the acorn?" the instructor asked.

"Squeaker-squeak-squeak-squeaking," the children responded.

"You owe me…a new acorn…" Kronk said.

"Squeak-squeak-squeak…squeak-squeaker…" the kids began to say.

Suddenly, one child noticed that kitty Yzma was not following along. He nudged her, and angrily the feline held out an acorn like the others.

"Squeaking," Yzma said in her high pitched voice.

Kronk dried a tear from his eye. "I'm so proud of you guys."

* * *

Deep in a cave within the Land of the Dragons, Riku and Sinarem arrived upon the keyhole.

"There it is," Sinarem said. "Now you can take another step toward our goal."

Riku turned to the man. "If I unlock this…what happens to the people in this world?"

"Does it matter?" Sinarem asked.

"You're a Keyblade Master, you tell me," Riku said.

"If you are disputing my status as a Keyblade Master, then I can't help wonder if you have any other skepticism toward me," the Nobody said.

"Of course I do!" Riku said. "You claim to be a master, but where were you for the past two years? Where were you when the Organization was wreaking havoc and I was trying to keep Sora safe? Where were you when Sora and I had to save Kairi and fight Xemnas?"

"I was travelling the worlds, trying to protect it from bigger threats," he simply replied.

"Oh, and yet you weren't able to save it from the Heartless?" Riku asked. "Honestly Sinarem, your story gets more and more complex every time I ask a question."

"The life of any wielder is convoluted my boy, you should know that more than anyone," Sinarem said.

"And your eyes…those are what bother me the most," Riku said. "They're almost the same as the ones belonging to Xehanort's Heartless."

"We have no connection," the man said. "I don't even know who that is."

"You're full of it," Riku said. "I've been wary of you from the beginning, old man. And now I'm starting to understand that you're a fraud."

The boy unveiled his Way to Dawn. "Now reveal your true name and identity or I'll destroy you."

The man laughed. "If I told you my REAL name, you wouldn't believe me."

"Try me," Riku said.

Sinarem smiled. "Xehanort."

The boy stared in shock. "Wh-what…you liar!"

The elder began to hysterically laugh. "You aren't very good at determining when someone is being honest, are you?"

Suddenly, a portal appeared beside Sinarem. At first, the man emerging from it appeared to be Xemnas. But considering his hairstyle was different and his clothes were those of Xehanort's Heartless, Riku understood who it really was.

"Xehanort!" the boy spat.

The dark master chuckled. "Riku…I see you're unhappy to see me."

Even the voice was the same as his Heartless. Riku flinched at the sound of that voice. The dark lord turned to Sinarem.

"You worthless Nobody," he sneered. "I thought you could actually pull it off, but now it seems I'll have to step in."

Ashamed, Sinarem stepped aside. Xehanort approached Riku, summoning his Keyblade and encasing the boy in ice. Riku tried to melt it with his darkness, but it was having little effect.

"You're trying to melt it?" the complete being inquired. "You of all people should know that darkness is cold, Riku…I thought you would have inherited that knowledge from me…"

"What are you gabbing about?" he asked.

"Let me fill in some holes for you, boy," he said. "First, the body you see me in right now…is Terra's body."

The youth stared in shock, unable to even speak.

"And the body you see next to me is my ORIGINAL body," he said. "Sinarem is my discarded body and soul. But my heart, the essence that truly defines a being, is within this body…Terra's body. That's where it was over a decade ago, when I possessed the lad."

"You WHAT?" Riku yelled.

"Just as my Heartless possessed you, I possessed Terra," he explained. "But long before that, I connected my heart to a little boy on Destiny Islands…intent on using him as a seed in my plans if I needed to."

Xehanort circled the frozen boy. "Did you ever wonder why you were the only person in your travels who had white hair? Did you ever wonder why you and you alone were so obsessed with travelling the worlds? Did you ever wonder why you had such an affinity for darkness?"

The man smiled. "It's because I had ALL of these things, Riku. When I visited Destiny Islands in my old body to leave Ven to a peaceful death, I came across you… a baby boy bristling with potential. I connected my heart to you, and since then a part of me has always been within you, ready to take control when I deemed it necessary!"

Xehanort pressed his hand against Riku's forehead. Swirls of purple darkness erupted from the contact.

"GAHHHHH!" the boy screamed in pain.

The ice melted away, and Riku fell to the ground. Slowly, he stood up with his eyes closed. His old bodysuit covered his older body. When he opened his eyes, the orbs had shifted from a cyan tint to a cruel shade of amber, the same as Xehanort's.

"Are you ready, Riku?" the silver haired man asked.

The boy smiled. "Whatever you bid…master."

And when he spoke, he spoke with two familiar voices…the voice of an innocent boy from Destiny Islands…and the voice of a twisted man from the same world.


	15. Chapter 15: Armored Phantoms

**Kingdom Hearts: Reconnection of Souls**

**Chapter 15: Armored Phantoms**

_AN: I can't guarantee when this will be updated. Know that the story overall will be finished before summer begins. And yes, we're nearing the end. There are only TWO chapters remaining after this. Everything will be wrapped together, and I hope the rest of this tale will satisfy you. Enjoy!_

Weak and defeated, the mouse sat against the wall of his cell. Almost fittingly, he was chained to it like an animal. Mickey sighed in exasperation, still unsure whose custody he was currently under. For the past few days, Dusks had been bringing bread and water to him. The meals were large enough to keep him alive. Even so, the portions were so small that his stomach had constantly been in pain from near starvation. Only through his magic had Mickey been able to keep himself from fainting.

Suddenly, a black portal ascended from the tiled floor outside his cage. Mickey glared in anger to see a familiar man with silver hair.

"Xehanort!" the King yelped.

The Keyblade Master sinisterly smiled. "Hello, your Majesty. I trust you're enjoying your stay thus far?"

"Can't say I have," the midget muttered.

"Would you feel better if you had a companion?" the man inquired.

Mickey glared. "What?"

"Perhaps Master Yen Sid," Xehanort suggested. "After all, apprentices and teachers bond quite well…unless the student sees through the deceit."

"Yen Sid would never deceive anyone!" Mickey exclaimed.

Xehanort chuckled. "Despite being an adult, you still think like a child. Has it ever occurred to you that the truth in what Yen Sid teaches is extremely limited?"

"What do you mean?" the mouse asked.

"His view on darkness," the dark lord responded. "He constantly claims that darkness is evil simply because it relies on negatively viewed emotions. Envy… anger… hatred… these are natural emotions that are essential to gaining any true power."

"All they do is corrupt you," Mickey countered. "I know it's easy to give into rage, especially when times are tough. But that anger just eats away at your personality, until eventually you transform from a swell guy into a monster."

"So I'm a monster for trying to save the worlds?" Xehanort asked.

Mickey crossed his arms, his legs still chained to the wall. "It doesn't seem like you've ever wanted to do that, Xehanort. Not as a Heartless, not as a Nobody, and certainly not now."

"Your opinion means nothing to me," the man hissed. "The only reason I kept you alive is to find Yen Sid."

"I don't even know where he is!" the mouse replied.

The man nodded. "Yes, but he knows where you are. A wizard such as himself can keep track of those whose hearts have maintained positive ties to him. You're nothing but bait in this game of cat and mouse, your Majesty."

Xehanort exited the room, his cloak flapping behind him. Preoccupied, Mickey sat down on the cold floor. The days of learning under Yen Sid seemed ages ago. Back when the worlds had more stability… when Terra, Aqua, and Ven were safe… when Xehanort wasn't free to do what he wished. Yet all he could think of was the menacing image of the manipulator and his familiar outfit. In fact, the mouse couldn't help but wonder where the twisted Keyblade Master found the clothes. The same attire had been worn by the old man who captured Mickey during his first journey across the worlds.

His eyes widened upon recalling something in his memory.

* * *

_Dazed and confused, a young mouse lifted his head to find himself lying on a cot. Glancing around, he recognized his surroundings as Yen Sid's office._

"_Good to see you're awake," a deep voice commented._

_Mickey turned his head rapidly. "Master Yen Sid!"_

_The man smiled, approaching his apprentice. "Aqua brought you back here. She found you in an unconscious state while traveling on her Keyblade Rider."_

_The apprentice vaguely recalled being caught off guard by the masked boy. The enigma had knocked him out cold and brought him to a strange desert. But the image truly imprinted in Mickey's head was that of a sinister old man with cruel eyes._

"_Where is she now?" the youth inquired._

"_She has traveled to the Keyblade Graveyard to aid her friends in stopping Master Xehanort and his apprentice Vanitas," Yen Sid replied._

"_Wait, Ven's there too?" he asked._

"_As well as Terra," the wizard answered._

"_We need to help them!" Mickey exclaimed._

_The sorcerer shook his head. "There are more pressing matters at hand. As we speak, a horde of Unversed is about to destroy Radiant Garden. I plan to venture there myself and defeat these creatures."_

_Approaching the door, the master saw his apprentice blocking the path._

"_But shouldn't we worry about these bad guys more right now?" Mickey inquired._

_Yen Sid shook his head. "I doubt that. The three apprentices have reunited at long last. They can handle any danger together."_

"_Are you sure?" the mouse asked. "What if Xehanort has designed this as a trap?"_

"_I do not know what Xehanort plans to do now," the master admitted. "Right now though, Radiant Garden could very well be on the verge of falling to darkness. I shall not allow that to happen."_

_Moving past Mickey, Yen Sid exited the room leaving the king in the same solitude he had experienced on much of his journey. Narrowing his eyes, Mickey held out the blue crystal from his pocket. Gripping the star shard with both hands, he felt a rush of energy swirl him out the window._

* * *

The mouse silently cursed his forgetful memory. When he had met the apprentice of Ansem the Wise, Mickey didn't even recognize the name. Certainly he had been stressed about the worlds' danger at the time, but that was hardly an excuse to him.

Slowly he began to connect the dots. Xehanort was one of the two figures he had encountered in his travels. One was a man covered with a helmet, yet the other was an elderly man dressed identically to his current captor. At the same time though, the new Xehanort was far too young to be the same person as the bald man he once encountered. Could it have been the masked boy then? Was he the true Xehanort?

Yet that didn't make sense either. As Mickey mentioned in his letter to Sora, Vanitas was the apprentice. This information had been personally told to him by Yen Sid.

Perhaps this new Xehanort was not fully the same as the person he had once been. Ansem Seeker of Darkness had possessed Riku, so was there a possibility that the old Xehanort had taken over Vanitas?

Of course! That would explain why this Xehanort has the same eyes as the old man. Yet so many questions remained…

Suddenly, a portal of light erupted from the floor outside the cell. Recognizing its aura to be the same as that of the star shard, Mickey gazed in shock to see a familiar man in blue robes step forth.

"Master Yen Sid!" the mouse said in surprise.

The elderly man smiled at the sight of his student, destroying the bars with a quick blast of magic.

"I hate to cut this reunion short, Mickey, but once the star shard recharges, we have to get moving," the sorcerer explained.

The mouse nodded. "Sure, but while we're waiting, could ya tell me what's the deal with this Xehanort?"

"Yes, please enlighten us," a deep voice boomed.

Caught off guard, the two turned to see Xehanort standing in the doorway.

"How convenient that I constructed this prison adjacent to my personal quarters," the man sneered.

The dark master locked his gaze on the wizard as he stepped closer. "Incredible…after all these years you still haven't seemed to age at all. Nobody would guess you're nearly a century old."

"Just as no one could presume your true age is some eighty years," the sorcerer sharply replied.

Xehanort chuckled. "I see you wit still hasn't changed, my old master."

The mouse's eyes widened. "WHAT?"

Yen Sid solemnly nodded. "Yes, Mickey. Xehanort was once my student…the very first one I had, as a matter of fact. Though hardly the best…"

"You pompous fool," the other mocked. "I was the strongest student ever to study under your tutelage."

The wizard nodded. "Of power you learned much. But compassion… mercy… light… these things never appealed to you, did they?"

The manipulator heartily laughed. "Because they lack any useful purpose. You are too shortsighted, Yen Sid. Darkness is naturally more powerful than light."

"You wisdom is faulty," Yen Sid jested. "It seems that after all the knowledge I passed on to you-"

"Knowledge?" Xehanort countered. "You call your indoctrinated lies KNOWLEDGE? The ignorance you're showing is second to none. Everything that helped me become who I am today was information I had to seek out on my own. In the end, I had to REJECT your teachings! You constantly told me to beware the darkness, how it would consume me and ruin the worlds. But darkness is not the true threat to the worlds now…"

Yen Sid glared. "What heresy are you referring to?"

The former student laughed. "HA! Heresy? This is simply the truth. Although Heartless are beings of darkness, and thus Nobodies are indirectly created by it as well, they do not exist because there is too much darkness. Rather, they exist because there is too LITTLE! The Realm of Light is incredibly larger than the Realm of Darkness. The Heartless and Nobodies are the universe's attempt at reaching equilibrium by drowning more worlds in darkness. Resistance is vain, because these incomplete beings will continue to thrive in this realm until the two realms are equal in power."

"That's an intriguing hypothesis," Yen Sid admitted. "Still, even if it were true, your experiments served as the stimulus for these beings. According to your theory, you were the cause of this necessity of Heartless and Nobodies."

"Are you really placing all the blame on me?" the man inquired. "You're at fault as well, Yen Sid. If you had fought alongside Mickey and the others in the final battle, everything might be at peace now. Ven would be awake, I wouldn't be in Terra's body-"

"You took over Terra?" Mickey yelled in surprise.

Xehanort chuckled. "I thought one with your reputation would have deduced it by now. I'm sure you're old master has known this entire time though."

The mouse turned to the elderly sorcerer. "Yen Sid…is it true?"

He nodded. "Yes, Mickey. I've known for quite some time. Though I had silently hoped that Xemnas and Ansem would take after Terra."

"Those two beings drew from both our sets of memories, really," Xehanort said. "In the end though, they only saw things from my point of view… as should you if you want to live."

Yen Sid summoned a Keyblade resembling a staff. While the hilt was golden, the rest of the weapon was a shade of indigo. The Keychain had three golden stars attached, and the blade tip had the shape of two triangles pointing opposite ways.

"I would never join you," the sorcerer claimed.

As Xehanort drew his own weapon, the wizard tossed the star shard to Mickey. "Quickly, take this and find your way to Sora and the others. Bring them to this world as quickly as you can."

"But, Yen Sid…" the mouse began saying.

The man glared at his former pupil. "Now Mickey! There isn't much time!"

Nodding obediently, the King activated the artifact, vanishing in a burst of blue light. The two warriors were left alone, each grasping the handle of his blade.

* * *

Surrounded by infinite blue stretches of space, Sora and his trio soared on their Keyblade Gliders. Suddenly, they saw a smoky black trail nearby. The last time Aqua had seen something like it was when she encountered Terra on Radiant Garden. She tried to shove the painful memory out of her thoughts.

"Darkness?" Kairi asked out loud.

"Yea, but where's it coming from?" Sora added.

The three followed the path, finding a familiar white castle ahead.

"That's Mickey's castle!" the boy exclaimed.

"Do you think he's in trouble?" Kairi asked.

Aqua shook her head. "I doubt that. He and Riku are probably far away from here. Bringing back Xion won't be quick or easy."

Behind his visor, Sora's eyes narrowed. "This doesn't make sense. There shouldn't be darkness here."

"It happens to all the worlds, Sora… just look at Radiant Garden," Kairi pointed out.

The boy shook his head. "No, I mean it literally shouldn't be possible. This castle has a special object. It's called the cornerstone of light. And as long as it's active, darkness can't get in the castle."

"Xehanort's incredibly powerful, Sora," the woman argued. "I'm sure he could have found a way to disable it."

The boy bit his lip. "I guess we'll find out."

The travelers vanished into streaks of blue as their vehicles sped towards Disney Castle.

* * *

Upon landing in the courtyard, Kairi was surprised to see that it was completely abandoned save for some elegantly trimmed hedges.

Kairi approached the door to the castle, yet as she was about to grab the doorknob, a crystal barrier covered the door. A group of Berserkers emerged from the ground, cornering the heroes.

Aqua stared at the armored creatures in confusion. "What ARE these things?"

"Nobodies!" Sora answered.

Drawing Oathkeeper and Oblivion, the boy began to tear the armor of the closest underling. Angry, the Berserker swung its axe toward the boy, completely missing him as Sora leapt into the air. The warrior dived Keyblade first into the Nobody, stabbing the being's helmet. It fell to the ground, dissipating into white thorns.

Aqua found herself surrounded by the rest of the Berserkers. She realized that Xehanort had probably told them to make her the priority. The girl raised her Keyblade in the air, summoning countless spikes of ice from the ground. The Nobodies were split into pieces, quickly vanishing into nothingness.

The master smiled. "Well, that was easier than I thought it would be."

Aqua glanced ahead, noticing a squad of dusks rushing somewhere. "You two keep this entrance guarded. I'll tail these minions to see what they're up to."

The apprentices nodded in agreement as their master rushed off. Suddenly, Sora noticed it was nighttime. Realizing how beautiful the stars were, he lied back on the grass for a moment.

"What are you doing?" Kairi asked. "We're supposed to be on patrol."

He smirked. "She never said we had to move."

Kairi sighed as she lied beside him. "Two years have passed and you're still a lazy bum."

The two friends laughed as they watched the stars above. For as long as she could remember, Kairi had always been awed by the sky at night. The vast collection of stars and planets reminded her that the world was far bigger than she could imagine. Yet at the same time, the only place she wanted to be was her home.

"Do you ever wonder how many worlds there actually are?" she asked.

The boy shrugged. "I dunno. Probably four."

She narrowed her eyes. "Four?"

He smirked. "Okay fine… definitely five."

The girl giggled. "I'd believe you if I hadn't already been to more than that."

The boy chuckled as well. "Wow, I actually forgot how much of this realm you've visited…"

"It's so much bigger than anyone can comprehend," the girl added.

The two stayed silent for a moment, simply appreciating each other's presence. Finally, Sora spoke. "Kairi, there's something I need to tell you."

She turned to him. "What is it?"

"Soon we're going to finally run into Xehanort," he said. "I don't know where or how, but I know that moment will be here soon. And when it comes, I need you to promise me something. Please don't get involved."

The girl widened her eyes. "What? Why not?"

"Just trust me, it wouldn't end well," he answered. "Xemnas and Ansem were the most powerful people I've ever fought. And Xehanort is both of them combined, probably wielding a Keyblade too."

"Don't shut me out," she told him. "You're my friend, Sora. I want to be there for you."

He nodded. "I know you do. And I appreciate the intention. But this fight isn't going to be easy, and I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Well I don't want you to be in harm's way either," she said. "I understand your concern, but I'm not that same girl who could barely swing a Keyblade at Xemnas's fortress. I've grown stronger, strong enough to stick by you and Aqua in all these other situations. So I don't care what the future or destiny has in store. I'm sticking by your side."

Sora smiled, realizing that their friendship had stayed strong despite all the hardship they had gone through. He always had admired Kairi. Her strength, her courage, her kindness…

Her body…

Immediately Sora shoved away that line of thought. Kairi noticed that his expression had hardened slightly.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

He sighed. "Do you know what it's like to care about someone… to have strong feelings for them… but to have no chance of exploring them because of circumstances?"

She nodded. "Every day."

He glanced at her, and Kairi began to lock her blue eyes with his. To the Princess of Heart, Sora's blue eyes truly represented his personality. He was one of the kindest and most innocent people she had ever met. Yet beneath that compassionate exterior was the determination to do what was necessary, even if it meant risking his life.

"I never really wanted to breakup," she admitted.

He widened his eyes in shock. "Really?"

The girl nodded quietly, turning her gaze towards the stars. "I was just so upset and frustrated at the time."

"So was I," he agreed.

Kairi sadly smiled. "I know it sounds selfish… but I just wish we weren't here right now. I wish we were back home at the islands, relaxing by our palm tree. Things used to be so simple."

The boy softly held her hand. "Soon enough, that's how things will be. Once Xehanort is finished, everything will be at peace."

She shook her head. "Not really. The worlds will never live in harmony until the Heartless and Nobodies are destroyed. Getting rid of their leader won't get rid of their natural destructive instincts."

Sora bit his lip. "That's true I suppose. Things will still be better though."

"Better enough…to start a relationship?" the girl asked.

He met her gaze, grinning. "Definitely."

As they began to slowly lean their faces toward each other, the two heard a small explosion, and turned to see the remains of a Dusk burning to ashes. Aqua stood behind it, her Stormfall Keyblade pointed directly at the heap.

"The tease led me on a goose chase," she explained. "I guess these Nobodies are smarter than I thought."

Sora stood up, still smiling confidently. "No worries. The people in this castle are pretty smart too!"

* * *

"Why won't this door open?" Donald screeched.

The duck continued to push all his weight against the door to the library. Goofy stood beside him, tapping his chin in thought. Finally, he stepped forward, pulling the door open.

Surprised at first, Donald quickly glared in response to Goofy's grin. "I would have figured that out eventually…"

The guard captain laughed. "Sure you would have!"

Suddenly, a voice called out to them. "Donald! Goofy!"

Shocked, the two turned to see Sora and the others rushing towards them. For them though, the one they were truly relieved to see was Sora.

"Sora!" they said in unison.

The three friends reunited with a hug, having not seen each other in a year. A small part of Sora had constantly missed his old companions throughout the new journey. As he gazed upon them, he realized how little time changes people. The two didn't look any different. In fact, they even had their old outfits on.

Goofy stared at Sora in shock. "Gawrsh, Sora, did you grow even more?"

The boy crossed his arms behind his head. "A little."

The two animals turned to the Keyblade Master in shock. "Aqua?"

She smiled. "Hello Donald… Goofy… it's good to see you again!"

"So then you're safe after all?" Donald asked. "Mickey told us you were trapped in the Realm of Darkness."

The woman nodded. "I was until Sora, Mickey, and Riku rescued me."

Confused, Goofy gazed at Kairi. "You're on this journey too, Kairi?"

"I joined late, but yea," she answered.

Suddenly, the two heard an explosion erupt from within the room. The group glanced inside to see Queen Minnie fending off a horde of Dusks.

"Your Majesty!" the duck cried out.

The others quickly followed behind him, arming themselves as they charged toward their outmatched opponents.

* * *

Victoriously smiling, Xehanort gazed upon the limping form of his old master. Yen Sid was certainly powerful, but his strength had substantially diluted over the years. The difference was so significant that the dark master still hadn't needed to catch his breath.

Refusing to submit, the wizard charged. With a swift twirl of his blade, Xehanort blocked the attack and sent the rod-like Keyblade flying out of his hand. Just as Yen Sid held out his hand to summon it back, Xehanort encased the wizard's torso in ice.

"Pathetic," the youth mocked. "This is what you have to show after all your years of training?"

The wizard grimaced. "You know I gave up my title as Keyblade Master long ago. This practice has been more of a hobby than an occupation for me."

"Perhaps if you treated your role more seriously, you could have won," the man pointed out.

"The war is far from over," the sorcerer said. "Sora and the others have been searching for you. When they arrive here, you will be forced to face them."

"Oh I plan on it," Xehanort assured him. "Hopefully they'll be stronger than you or Eraqus."

The wizard glared at him. "Isn't that deed alone enough proof that darkness corrupted you? You killed your best friend, Xehanort! He was like a brother to you! I saw the way you both interacted as you grew up together."

"I had to make sacrifices in order to achieve my goal," Xehanort said. "I am curious to see if another Keyblade War can finally balance the two realms. That could very well be the catalyst needed."

"You're risking everything," Yen Sid criticized. "Another war will destroy both realms."

Xehanort smiled. "That angers you, doesn't it?"

The elderly man kept his silence.

"I can sense your rage," the manipulator told him. "You despise me for everything I've done. For killing Eraqus… snatching Terra's body… bringing chaos to the realm…"

"Such passions can be controlled," the wizard countered. "Truthfully though, what first tore me apart was your fall. You were once a stubborn yet compassionate boy, Xehanort. I saw you as a son."

Xehanort glared at him. "Enough of this indoctrination. You only saw Eraqus as a son. The differences in the way you treated us were entirely apparent."

Before the wizard could even speak, the manipulator raised his weapon, the blade inches away from Yen Sid's face.

Yet even as he faced death, Yen Sid saw a glimpse of a young boy's face in front of him. The teenager had somehow innocent yellow eyes and spiky silver hair. Suddenly, the face morphed into Xemnas's as Xehanort sneered at him.

"Sink into darkness," the dark master softly said.

A black sphere began to form at the tip, and flames of darkness engulfed Yen Sid's entire form.

* * *

The final Dusk found itself burning into nothingness from the heat of Aqua's Firaga attack.

Kairi bowed in front of Minnie. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, your Majesty."

"Likewise, Kairi," the mouse replied.

"Queen Minnie, do you have any idea why this castle is crawling with Nobodies?" the boy asked.

The monarch shook her head. "I'm not sure. The Cornerstone of Light should have kept them out. It's designed to expunge any beings with darkness in their hearts."

Suddenly, Aqua's eyes widened. "Of course! No wonder the Nobodies were able to enter this place. They don't have hearts!"

"We better make sure they're not messing with that cornerstone then," Goofy said. "Otherwise we'd have to deal with Heartless too!"

Minnie began walking ahead. "Follow me, the entrance to the room with the cornerstone is behind the throne."

As the companions began approaching the secret entrance, they suddenly saw a dark barrier appear in front of it.

At the same moment, Aqua looked behind to see the doors slam, a crystal barrier forming over them. The woman sensed a dark presence nearby, and looked up in shock to see a suit of armor falling towards her from the ceiling. The Keyblade Master cartwheeled away just as the figure brought down its trademark Keyblade.

Hearing the noise, Sora and the others turned to see Xemnas's armor stand up.

Sora glared at it. "What are you?"

The being turned towards him. _"I am No Heart."_

Strangely, Sora and the others only heard a strange metallic noise emit from it. Realizing they couldn't understand him, No Heart took his stance, his gaze locked on Aqua.

"Quickly, try to release the seal blocking our way to the cornerstone!" Aqua called out to the others. "Kairi, Sora, and I can handle this."

The two apprentices immediately rushed next to their master. Refusing to let them fight on their own, Goofy and Donald rushed towards them, only to find a flaming wall of darkness completely dividing them and the room in half. The armor threw back his Keyblade, allowing it to compress in a flat form against the purple wall. Confused at what he was trying to do, the trio suddenly saw a storm of Keyblades erupt from the darkness. Aqua summoned a huge barrier, intent on protecting her students. After the impact from a few Keyblades, however, the barrier snapped into pieces, staggering the Keyblade warriors.

Silently thanking the universe that the projectiles didn't home on towards her, Aqua ran out of the path of the Keyblades. Suddenly, she found No Heart charging at her from the side. He rammed his gauntlet against her Rainstorm, swiftly beginning to overpower her. Breaking the deadlock, she swung the Keyblade toward his torso, only to watch him grab the center of her blade. Ripping the Keyblade out of her hand, No Heart tossed it to the side, and aimed his palm toward the woman. Aqua sprinted away as a barrage of dark Firaga began to give chase. Holding out her hand, Aqua summoned Rainstorm, and quickly created a Reflega barrier. The blasts bounced in random directions, yet none managed to hit the armor.

Sora and Kairi were still avoiding bursts of Keyblades as they rushed towards the armor's flattened weapon. Glowing with red auras, the two each began the assault with a Triple Firaga. Once the sixth shot exploded, the device was covered in flames. Taking this chance, the two began smashing their blades against the artifact, slowly wearing it down. Realizing they were still under fire, Sora pushed Kairi out of the way just as a barrage of Keyblades flew towards them from high above. Smiling at him, the girl rushed back towards the device with Sora to continue the attack. Finally, it disconnected from the wall of darkness, scraping as it landed on the hard floor. Once it fell, the final barrage of Keyblades ceased, and the two apprentices calmly stepped back to avoid the projectiles' path.

The two turned to see that their Master was holding her own against the armored enigma. She parried his punches and kicks with her Keyblade, yet her guard was gradually weakening. It amazed her how strong this person was. Seeing an opening, the girl thrust her Keyblade forward, narrowly missing as the figure flipped above her. In midair, No Heart summoned his Keyblade, the device once again in its natural form. He clashed his blade with hers, slowly pressing her blade towards her head. Realizing she was in trouble, Sora sprinted forward, summoning an Aeroga wave next to the figure. Weighing less than one would expect, the armor helplessly flew into the air and twirled about the wind's current until it died out.

Landing with a thud, the armor skidded back on its feet. The metal heels grinded to a stop, and in less than a second, the figure was charging at Sora with a violet aura covering it. It glided towards Sora, knocking him down as he futilely tried to use Reflega. Still not finished, the armor charged once more, this time the aura even more vibrant. Sora realized he was still its target, and dodge rolled just as No Heart's fist narrowly swiped over him. Once the enigma had landed, it turned to see Aqua stepping forth. Taking a deep breath, the woman's Keyblade began to glow pink and extend. She dashed towards him, ferociously slashing her weapon against his. The Keyblade Master gradually backed the opponent into a corner as it parried her attacks.

Having put only a few feet between the armor and the wall, Aqua raised her Keyblade into the air. With one hand, she rapidly spun it around her body, sending a flurry of strikes toward No Heart. The armored suit patiently blocked each attack with its Keyblade. Noticing that the pink aura was beginning to fade, No Heart held up his own hands. Not seeing any difference in her enemy, Aqua pondered what he was doing. Then, she heard a huge eruption of energy behind her. The woman turned to see two wide pillars of darkness stretch from the floor to the ceiling. The blue pillars raced towards her, and before she could even try to dodge them, No Heart grabbed her and threw the woman against the wall.

Aqua glanced up to see No Heart dash past the two pillars just as the space between them became too narrow. Realizing the dark cylinders were barely a few feet away, Aqua held up her Keyblade, creating a strong Reflega shield with every fiber of her being. The darkness poured over her shield, blinding her from anything happening outside.

As the Keyblade Master tried to maintain the barrier, Sora and Kairi charged towards No Heart. The armor easily blocked the teenagers attacks. After swinging at Sora, however, No Heart noticed the boy leap into the air and land behind him. As he blocked Sora's next attack with his Keyblade, Kairi swung towards him. The enigma sidestepped the attack, and roundhouse kicked the girl across the floor.

"Kairi!" Sora called out in terror.

Just as he began to rush towards the girl, No Heart grabbed him by the throat, lifting him into the air. Sora began to choke as he struggled to break free. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning surged into the armor's shoulder plate. Injured from the Thundaga attack, No Heart dropped the boy and turned to find Kairi holding her Keyblade in the air. Far from done, Kairi upheaved her weapon once more, this time creating a Graviga that sent the armor flying against the ceiling. The armor looked down, and flew towards the ground at an incredible speed. An orange cylinder of darkness covered No Heart, following him as he hit the floor. Dark cracks spread everywhere from the impact, knocking Sora and Kairi on their backs.

Sora gazed up to see No Heart holding his hand out, sending a torrent of glowing Keyblades toward him. The boy rolled out of the way, and held back Oblivion and Oathkeeper as he charged toward the enemy. The armor swung his leg, releasing an arc of black energy towards the boy. Unable to dodge it in time, Sora instinctively held up his weapons, successfully stopping the attack. Holding out his hand, No Heart released a barrage of Dark Firaga at the youth. The boy reflected each blast back at No Heart, yet the armor effortlessly dodged them.

Meanwhile, Kairi continued rushing towards Aqua, realizing that the dark pillars were finally evaporating. The barrier around Aqua faded away, and the Keyblade Master weakly got to her feet.

"Man that guys good…" the woman muttered.

Kairi cast Curaga on her master, yet Aqua could only smile with some pity. "Thank you. I just wish that spell could heal fatigue…"

The girls saw that Sora was slowly being overpowered by No Heart. The armor dashed towards the boy, only to narrowly miss as he rolled away. Sora raised his Keyblade and summoned three bursts of Thundaga. Each blast directly hit the armor, yet even as electricity defamed its appearance with burn marks, No Heart continued marching towards him. Realizing the other two were now approaching, the enigma heaved its Keyblade toward them. The weapon spun as it homed towards Aqua and Kairi. It bounced off their Keyblades as they reflected it back and forth. Finally, Aqua smacked it towards No Heart, only to watch in disappointment as its handle easily fit in the figure's hand.

Filled with frustration, the armor flew high into the air. Surges of darkness poured out from it, and suddenly an enormous explosion of darkness emitted from it. The blast filled the entire room, flattening the heroes against the floor as they cried out in pain.

As the darkness cleared, No Heart landed on the floor. Turning to the right, the figure saw Aqua and Kairi heavily panting. Tilting its head left, it saw that darkness was beginning to cover Sora. Recognizing the aura to be a familiar shade of black, No Heart was not surprised to see Sora take on the form of Vanitas. The boy opened his amber eyes, devilishly smiling at his opponent as he summoned Void Gear and Oblivion.

"Let me show you what darkness is REALLY capable of," Sora teased.

Aqua and Kairi nervously watched, understanding that the boy intended for this battle to be one-on-one.

The sentiment patiently watched the teenager charge toward him. The two parried a few blows, neither one gaining the edge. Seizing an opening, No Heart swung through Sora, immediately realizing the form was a mirage. The armor looked around, expecting to see Sora appear at any moment. Instead, however, it felt a searing pain surge through its legs. The armor fell to its knees, or rather, its knees had fallen off. Sora crawled out from underneath, having sliced off the legs of the suit. Sora mischievously grinned as the suit gazed at him.

Refusing to lose, No Heart supported itself on its waist. The suit propelled itself forward with darkness, completely missing Sora as he cartwheeled away. His face now serious, Sora dived into the ground. A homing dark circle with red lines had replaced the spot where he stood, and No Heart watched in surprise as Sora jumped out from it. No Heart was knocked on its back by the attack, and before it could even support itself again, Sora had performed the attack for a second time. Falling against the ground, the enigma raised its head to see Sora jump out with barrages of fireballs. The flames scorched the armor and drained what little energy it had left.

With its final bit of energy, No Heart turned its energy towards the boy. Three white circles began to spin in front of Sora, and the boy held out his Keyblades. From the blades' tips, a blue ray of darkness raced towards his opponent. No Heart gave out a final metallic cry as the darkness dissipated its form into dust, and the wall of darkness vanished.

Sora landed, satisfied to see that only ashes remained of the strange creature. With a deep breath, Sora felt his appearance return to normal as his positive emotions began to kick back in. Kairi rushed forward, hugging him.

"You did it!" the girl said. "That was incredible, Sora."

He scratched his head. "Aw, that was nothing."

Aqua calmly stepped forward. "Well done. For a moment there though, I thought you were lost to darkness."

Sora rolled his eyes. "Aqua, believe me, I've seen the damage darkness is capable of. But I pulled that off just fine. Vanitas hasn't even tried to take over or anything like that. His power has done nothing but help me."

The woman sighed. "I know it seems natural, but darkness is dangerous. The more you use it, the more you depend on the energy itself and the negative emotions associated with it."

Sora nodded. "Then I'll be careful to keep those emotions from overtaking me."

Before Aqua could lecture him any further, Donald and Goofy rushed over to him.

"I couldn't see too much of that fight," the dog said. "What happened, Sora? Did you end up taking him down?"

The boy smiled. "The three of us wore him down together. I just put the nail in the coffin."

Donald grinned. "Great job!"

Goofy crossed his arms. "Hmm… I wonder if that armored guy came from the same place as the other one. I mean the portal's open again."

"WHAT?" Sora yelled in shock.

* * *

Just as the knights captain had said, the portal in the Hall of the Cornerstone was once again open. It glowed with the same black aura as it had a year ago.

Glancing at the still functioning cornerstone, Aqua soon set her eyes on the portal as well.

"So what did you find in here last time?" Kairi asked.

"This armored guy with an attitude problem," Sora answered.

Aqua's eyes flickered for a moment. "Wait a minute… what did this person look like?"

Sora scratched his head. "Tall guy… two vertical prongs in his helmet… red and gold armor…"

Before he could say anymore, the woman rushed past him.

"Aqua, wait up!" the boy said.

Sora and Kairi followed suit, entering the portal behind their master.

* * *

The memories began to dig at Aqua as she found herself in a familiar desert. It seemed that the explosion from the X-Blade hadn't damaged it after all. In fact, she even saw a familiar plateau in the distance.

"I've been here before," the woman stated. "This is where Terra, Ven and I fought our final battle."

Sora widened his eyes in shock. "Really? Then maybe that guy WAS Terra."

Before any of them could mutter another word, the wind slowly began to howl louder. A cloud of dust began to swirl around a somewhat large radius. As the sand faded away, Aqua stared in shock at what she saw.

The armor looked older and worn down. Red tints had turned a dark crimson and yellow highlights had morphed into light shades of brown. Yet what truly struck her was the addition of the cape on the figure's body. The man stood up, his Keyblade still inserted in the dirt. Aqua felt tears of joy began to form in her eyes.

"Terra!" she cried out.

The Keyblade Master rushed forward. And yet as she did, floods of memories began to overtake the sentiment's vision.

* * *

_The three apprentices stood under the stars at night._

"_Oy sometimes you are such a girl," Terra said._

_Somewhat insulted, Aqua narrowed her eyes. "Hey… what do you mean SOMETIMES?"_

* * *

_Terra held his Keyblade, confidently looking towards the sky. "Being a Keyblade Master is all I've dreamed about!"_

_Aqua smiled. "Well you're not the only one."_

_Before speaking, the two gazed at each other, both realizing that they dreamed about much more than just that goal._

* * *

_Having defeated the Trinity Armor Unversed, Ven, Terra, and Aqua rushed together._

"_We make a great team," the woman said._

_Terra stared at her, realizing that all he wanted was for the two of them to make a great PAIR._

* * *

The Lingering Sentiment embraced Aqua, somehow feeling the tears fall against its armor. After years of wandering and searching, Aqua had finally done. She finally found Terra. Yet seeing his armored form wasn't enough. The girl raised her hand, grabbing Terra's helmet…

Only to find Terra's gauntlets holding her arms in place.

She stared in confusion. "Terra… what's wrong? Why can't I see you?"

The being resisted trying to speak to her. Doing so would only blow his cover, and he couldn't let Aqua know the truth. Terra's heart felt shame surge through him as he stepped back from Aqua.

Before the woman could react, a blue aura shot down from the sky. Mickey's form slowly appeared as the light faded, and the King turned to Sora and the others.

"Guys, we gotta hurry!" the mouse exclaimed. "Xehanort's on the move at Radiant Garden. If we have any hope of stopping him, we need to-"

Before he could finish, Mickey gazed in shock at the figure beside Aqua. Realizing the armor must have been Terra's, Mickey shifted his glance to turn the star shard into a portal of light.

"Hurry, this is a one way ticket!" he announced.

Aqua realized he was hiding something. "Wait!"

Mickey stopped in his footsteps, guiltily turning to Aqua. "What is it?"

"I won't leave without Terra," she said. "And I'm not sure if he wants to go anywhere right now."

The sentiment was shocked at her deductive skills. Could their bond have given her a glimpse of his emotions?

The Keyblade Master turned to Terra, smiling. "Come with us."

The armored figure stepped forward, yet suddenly, painful memories overtook him as he moved closer to her.

* * *

_Standing in the arena where the Trinity Armor had been bested, Terra glared at Aqua._

"_You mean you've been spying on me?" he asked. "Is that what he told you to do? The Master's orders?"_

_The woman guiltily looked away from him, and Terra felt the rage boil within him._

* * *

_Unable to control himself, Terra watched in horror as his now tan arm hosted Aqua into the air._

"_Who…am I?" a deep voice asked._

_Aqua struggled to break free, grimacing at the man. "Such a terrible darkness. Stop… Terra, please!"_

"_Terra…you say…" the man muttered._

_Terra tried to stop himself. He fought with every fiber of his being. Yet as he felt the new personality fade away, he soon felt Xehanort's familiar presence take over._

* * *

_Terra watched in horror as Xehanort's black creature held Aqua in place. He helplessly felt his arms swing against the girl, bringing down all his strength against her with each stroke of the Keyblade._

* * *

The Lingering Sentiment fell to its knees, the grief and shame draining far too much of his seemingly infinite power. Aqua knelt beside the figure.

"Terra… what are you hiding from me?" she asked.

Mickey stepped forward. "Trust me, Aqua, staying here won't help Terra."

She turned to him accusingly. "What's THAT supposed to mean?"

Realized he had been caught, the mouse held his ground. "I'd tell you the truth… but it's pretty painful…"

She grinded her teeth. "Pain practically DEFINES me by now! I need to know!"

The mouse nodded in agreement. "Pull off his helmet."

The woman took of the sentiment's helmet, and stared in horror to see nothing underneath. "I don't understand."

"This isn't Terra, Aqua," Mickey explained. "Terra has actually been very active in the last decade… but not willingly. Just like Vanitas possessed Ven…"

The woman stared as the mouse swallowed a bit.

"… Xehanort possessed Terra," the monarch stated.

Aqua felt her heart drop. The tears began to truly fall as she lied against Terra's armor, gripping it as tightly as she could. The man she loved… the man who loved her… had been hijacked by a monster. Everything Braig had told her suddenly made sense. Ansem and Xemnas were corrupted forms of her lover, neither one being close to the real Terra. And now, after all this time, Terra was still being possessed.

"FATE ISN'T FAIR!" she screamed in horror.

Mickey softly held her back. He could only imagine how painful it was for her. Terra's innocent face suddenly departed from her thoughts. Determined to extract justice, the only image Aqua could see was the corrupted face of her lover. She imagined Terra stranded in some metaphysical depths of darkness, and such thoughts only increased her preoccupation.

Sora and Kairi watched with pity as their master continued to cry. Soon they weren't sure how much time had passed. Seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned to what seemed like hours.

"So wait... I killed Terra?" Sora inquired to Mickey.

The mouse shook his head. "No. Xehanort's Heartless and Nobody weren't Terra at all. They were completely new people with the same cruel personality as Master Xehanort."

Suddenly, Aqua felt the armor's shoulder move. She glanced up to see Terra's charm in the figure's hand. Stifling her tears, the woman took the object, hanging it around her neck with her own.

"We should get going if we're going to stop Xehanort," the woman stated shakily.

She stood up as the rest of the group walked into the portal. Before she entered the gateway, she gazed back at Terra's armor one last time. Then, realizing he still hadn't gotten to his feet, the woman stepped through.


	16. Chapter 16: Fragments of Sorrow

**Kingdom Hearts: Reconnection of Souls**

**Chapter 16: Fragments of Sorrow**

_AN: Well here it is… the moment you've been waiting for. Sora and the gang are finally going to confront Xehanort. I'm hoping that this chapter won't be seen as completely predictable in what happens, because I really don't want to set that tone. Anyway, please do not worry. There's only one chapter left, and it's gonna be a lengthy one. But rest assured this story will be wrapped up soon enough. Enjoy!  
_

Plans are the same as those who make them. All humans are born as infants, innocent and incapable of any achievement. As time passes, they slowly cultivate and grow until each person reaches the pinnacle of his potential.

And many plans… like people… take years to come to fruition.

A smirk spread across the man's face, his figure towering above all of Radiant Garden from the roof of his castle. Standing beside him were Maleficent, Sinarem, and his newest ally: Riku. The four's yellow eyes glinted in the glow of the sunset. Glancing to his right, Xehanort couldn't help but stare in astonishment at how familiar Riku looked. The boy was a spitting image of himself as a youth, save the lighter skin of course. He was proud to have the boy on his side… although it would have been nicer if he had joined willingly. Yet neither of the two were fools. Riku had been deceived once before, by Ansem Seeker of Darkness, and there was absolutely no way he would be tricked into allying with users of darkness again. Thus, his allegiance had to be forced.

Xehanort glanced below. Thousands of Heartless and Nobodies were swarming against the rocky wall, the only barrier remaining between Radiant Garden and the castle. Soon enough, it would be reduced to rubble by hives of fragmented creatures.

"I must admit, I'm surprised Riku is once again on our side," Maleficent commented.

The boy smirked. "And I'm surprised you're not dead, hag."

The woman winced, and glanced at Xehanort. "Are you sure we can trust him?"

The man nodded. "If I wasn't, he wouldn't be standing next to me now. Besides, your final task is about to commence."

Nodding in agreement, the witch stepped forward with her staff high in the air. "Heartless… Nobodies… heed my call. Charge forth and make the city fall!"

A green aura engulfed her as she flew towards the town, her minions obediently trailing beneath her.

Sinarem stepped towards his other self. "Can she truly make any progress?"

"That's what I'm trying to determine," he answered. "Even if she falls, the Heartless and Nobodies will take care of the inhabitants. Especially if all goes according to plan…"

Somewhat irritated, the old man stepped in front of the manipulator, staring into his identically yellow orbs. "I've been patient with you, Xehanort. And I NEED to know… why have we kept Sora alive? He's the only one you haven't ordered to be destroyed."

The younger man smiled. "Another day of patience won't hurt you."

With that, Sinarem scowled and vanished into a portal. Once the darkness vanished, the dark master turned to the boy at his side. "Your duty is at hand."

Smiling, the boy took off on his feet, purposely showing the acrobatic skills enhanced by his darkness rather than teleport to the town. And as he jumped from ledge to ledge, the dark smirk on Riku's face seemed only to grow with anticipation.

* * *

Traveling through light took far longer than Sora had realized. The boy and his friends were floating in a midst of warmth, surrounded by swirls of white and gold. As the current continued carrying them toward Radiant Garden, the teenager glanced back toward Aqua. The woman was isolated from the others, still shaking and holding herself with fear.

Filled with pity and compassion, Sora casually glided beside her. "We'll stop Xehanort, Aqua."

The woman wiped the tears from her face. "But how will that save Terra? We need to return him to his body... not destroy it."

Sora mused. "You're right. Actually, there's so much that has to be done. I mean I don't think Mickey even found out how to save Xion yet."

"And Ven is still fast asleep," Aqua added.

Sora stood up, still seeming confident. "So what? We can bring them all back, I know it!"

Aqua looked at him in shock. "But how?"

He shrugged. "I really don't know, but that doesn't matter to me. Sometimes determination alone can find a solution. And I'm more determined than ever to help these people, Aqua!"

The woman smiled at him, the tears no longer staining her cheeks. Aqua was always amazed at Sora's personality. No matter how dim things seemed, he always kept pushing and refused to let anything hold him back. His determination made him so admirable… much like Ven and Terra.

Perhaps that's what she saw in him. Perhaps that's what attracted Aqua to Sora.

Yet regardless of the feelings she held for him, the woman was already in love with Terra… or so she thought. He was constantly on her mind, refusing to abandon her cascade of thoughts. Was it simply because the man was still in danger? Or did she genuinely love him? Aqua would only know for sure once they began spending time together again.

Sora continued to stare at her. "Have you changed your mind?"

"Hm?" she asked in confusion.

"Can I be the one to battle Xehanort?" Sora asked.

The master reflected for a moment. Since her childhood, Eraqus had always taught her the dangers of darkness and the importance of staying to the path of light. Her experiences with villains like Xehanort showed her how far darkness could corrupt someone. Her master always spoke highly of his old friend, but it seemed darkness had done something to Xehanort's intentions.

Yet she couldn't ignore the evidence of the aid created by darkness. Sora used it to defeat the armored enigma in Mickey's castle, just as he used it to save Aqua in their first battle against it.

Focusing on his question, Aqua shook her head. "No, Sora. When I last fought Xehanort, he was incredibly strong… too strong for an apprentice."

Sora sighed. "Look, I know I'm not as experienced. But I'm strong! I was able to destroy that armored guy easily."

"With the help of Vanitas… but I have an ominous feeling he's going to actually take control this time," the woman replied.

"He never has before, so why now?" Sora inquired.

"Because he'll finally be reunited with his master," she explained. "I don't want to lose another friend to darkness, Sora."

"I feel the same way," he said.

She leered in shock. "What are you saying?"

"You're filled with grief about Terra," Sora answered. "I understand that you're devastated at what became of him, but if you fight with vengeance, won't you fall to darkness too?"

She nodded. "That's possible, but I'm upset at my role in all this too. I was the one who pushed Terra early on. I thought he was committing evil deeds in the world, and when I confronted him about it, I only fanned the dark flames in his heart. Eventually, I realized that even though he was filled with darkness, he was still compassionate and altruistic."

Sora looked at her pitifully. "Aqua, don't be so hard on yourself. If that's how your master raised you, then you can't really consider what you did a mistake."

"But bringing Xehanort back to this realm was," she said with a sob. "The chaos in this realm is my fault, Sora. I saved Xehanort when I should have let him sink into darkness where he belonged!"

The boy couldn't stand seeing his master so distraught. "Terra didn't belong there though, Aqua. And from what I've learned about this situation, it seems like Terra was always in his body… even if he wasn't in control."

She stayed silent for a moment, wondering if her pupil was right. Was she really to blame? No, the actions that devastated the worlds and released the Heartless were those of Xehanort. Aqua had done nothing but protect the worlds throughout her life. Clearly the news of her friend's fate was clouding her judgment. The time for sorrow would come, but now she had to focus if she was going to defeat her greatest foe.

* * *

Sora and the others quickly emerged from the blue portal. Putting away the star shard, Mickey glanced at the surroundings in shock. He had expected to see Heartless and Nobodies, but there were thousands of them already in the town, and more were on the way. Staring into the distance, the King realized they were emerging from Ansem's restored castle.

"We gotta get to that castle!" the mouse piped.

As they rushed in the direction of the courtyard, a huge wall of green flames blocked their path.

"Sorry, your Majesty, but foreigners are no longer welcomed to Hollow Bastion," a familiar and feminine voice called out.

The group glared up to see Maleficent descending toward them.

"It'll take more than a witch to stop us," Kairi remarked.

"Well I'm FAR more than that, my dear," she replied.

The barrier of flames began to grow, dancing in circles around its mistress. Finally, they erupted into the skies, encasing Maleficent in a green cylinder of energy. Slowly her physical form began to vanish into a shadow, and the shape grew into a far larger creature. The shade took on a four-legged beast with large wings and a snout, and the fires faded to reveal a black dragon.

Before Sora could even summon his weapon, Kairi unleashed her own. "I'll hold her off. You guys get going!"

"Kairi, don't!" Sora begged. "Let me help you."

"No, Sora, you need to stop Xehanort with Aqua and the others," Kairi countered.

Before the boy could protest, he noticed Donald and Goofy stand beside her.

"We'll help you out!" the dog assured her.

"Yeah, we've beaten this lizard before," Donald added.

Hearing the insult, Maleficent roared to the heavens and began slowly spraying the area with a fiery barrier, ensuring it was too strong to pass.

Glancing at his old comrades, Sora smiled at Kairi. "Finish her off for good."

Confident Kairi would be fine, the Keyblade warriors rushed towards the courtyard as Kairi, Donald and Goofy readied their weapons.

Before the others could move any further, a Darkside and Twilight Thorn appeared in front of them. Silently, Sora and the two masters unveiled their Keyblades.

* * *

The dragon was faster than it appeared, whipping its tail toward the trio like a hurricane. The warriors leapt into the air, and Kairi plummeted toward the ground with her blade stretched before her. The weapon tore into its flesh, causing the beast to howl in pain. Turning her head slowly, the girl was surprised. The dragon's eyes lacked pupils and irises, as if what little humanity Maleficent contained was gone forever.

A black claw swatted towards Kairi, snapping her back to reality as she narrowly evaded.

Her blue eyes locked with the beast's yellow slits. She could feel the hatred pouring from its leer. And unless she was hallucinating, the dragon seemed to be smiling. The sadistic smirk sent shivers down the princess's spine as she tried to hold her composure.

Donald struck first, launching a barrage of ice towards the nearest claw. The flesh was frozen against the ground, leading the beast to swipe at Donald from the other side. Holding on to his staff for dear life, the mage cast Reflega.

Shields aren't meant to be broken. Unfortunately though, the barrier was destroyed in seconds. Donald fell against the ground along with the sparkling shards.

Glaring angrily at his opponent, the duck raised his staff into the air. A burst of lightning struck the dragon's forehead, leading it to howl in pain. Strafing at a safe distance, the mage continued with an onslaught of Thundaga. Kairi joined in, doing her best to attack with just as much voltage.

Goofy took a different approach by tossing his shield like a boomerang. "Take this, hag!"

Each of the trio's attacks weakened the dragon, draining away its strength quickly. Seemingly defeated, the monster collapsed to its knees.

Maleficent slowly closed its eyes, as if defeat had finally arrived. Suddenly, the yellow slits widened. Spraying fire at its frozen paw, the creature broke free. Flapping its wings independently, the beast hovered above the trio like a vulture.

Aiming Destiny's Place, Kairi shot bursts of ice at the beast. Smiling with glee once more, the beast countered the shots with a fiery blaze. Narrowing her eyes, Kairi rolled out of the ember's path. She continued shooting Blizzaga spells, yet it wasn't enough to break through the flames. Maleficent dived, its sights set on the princess.

Most people faced with an aerial abomination headed toward them would be filled with terror. Yet Kairi didn't even flinch as the dragon approached. Determined to finish the battle, the girl leapt into the air, gripping her Keyblade with all her might. As Maleficent landed on the ground, Kairi mounted on its tail. Rushing up its spiky spine, Kairi made her way to the top of the purple hill.

Feeling the stomping of feet against its back, Maleficent spun its head in reverse, releasing a salvo of green fireballs. The princess deflected each shot with her Keyblade, launching the blasts to their sender. Each flame scorched the dragon's flesh, clearly harming the creature.

Realizing she still had a blue aura, Kairi turned to Donald. "Use ice spells now!"

The duck nodded, freezing all four of the beast's claws in place. As the dragon struggled to break free, Goofy whirled in circles with his shield held out. Bouncing from one leg to the other like a pinball, Goofy was satisfied to hear the creature growl in frustration. With its legs now numb, the animal collapsed.

Taking its attention away from the servants, the beast stared in horror to see swirls of ice encircling Kairi. Stabbing her blade into its back, the princess created an explosion of frozen crystals. The low temperature seemed to spread, slowly encasing Maleficent's body in ice.

Once the beast was fall frozen, Kairi slammed her Keyblade into it once more. The dragon shattered into countless pieces, and the ice strangely ignited into dark flames. The fire evaporated, signaling that Maleficent was defeated for good.

Kairi smiled as the inferno surrounding them died out. Fire turned to ash, and the heroes rushed towards their comrades amidst swarms of Heartless.

* * *

Nobodies were best described by their name. They had no identity nor independent purpose. Yet what truly made the creatures unique was their lack of emotions. No sorrow or pain could ever infect them.

Unfortunately for Lea, he was no longer a Nobody.

Armed with his chakrams, Lea slowly felt his strength drain as he helped guard the gate to Radiant Garden. Even with the help of Leon and Cloud, he had still failed to keep more Nobodies from entering the sanctuary. Out of the corner of his eye, the man noticed dozens of Dusks glide above him. Gritting his teeth, he launched both discs into the air, yet barely hit four of them.

The creatures landed on their feet, dashing forward until they spotted Yuffie. Narrowing her eyes, the woman jumped into the air. Smiling confidently, she slammed into the ground heel-first, creating a fiery shockwave. The blast quickly disintegrated the Dusks into dust.

She raised her head in victory.

And leered in defeat.

Dozens of dusks were rushing towards her. She leapt to her feet, quickly realizing she barely had enough stamina to stand. She charged at them, yet was quickly knocked aside by a Berserker.

Weak and defeated, Yuffie looked up in horror as the Nobodies began literally ripping through buildings, crumbling everything in their path. The ninja lowered her eyes, losing what little faith she had left.

Suddenly, something pulled her up. She whipped her head around, smiling at the sight of Leon carrying her. With his free arm, the man blasted a volley of sparks from his gunblade, disintegrating the Nobodies as they continued their spree.

"Can we stop them?" Yuffie asked.

Frowning at first, the man heard a magical explosion come from his left. As a Twilight Thorn dissolved into the ground, Sora and the others emerged from the dust.

"With their help, definitely," he replied.

Slicing a Dusk into pieces, Lea turned his head to see the Keyblade warriors. "Sora! Glad you're with the reinforcements!"

The boy was about to approach and greet them, yet he realized all the denizens were preoccupied with the creatures.

"We'll talk to them when this is over," Sora stated. "We still need to find Xehanort."

Mickey nodded. "Sure, but it does seem like they could use a hand."

Donald and Goofy stepped forth. "Allow us!"

The King warmly smiled. "Gosh guys, that's very kind of you. Help hold down the fort!"

Nodding quickly, the animals rushed off to the adult combatants. The Keyblade warriors turned on their heels, sights set for Ansem's castle.

* * *

Surprisingly enough, the road to Hollow Bastion had no guards whatsoever. Sora whipped his head left and right, expecting to see SOMETHING pop out of thin air. Yet nothing appeared.

"It seems like a trap," Sora noted.

"With Xehanort that's a given," Aqua replied.

Suddenly, the bluenette gasped in horror. Surprised by her state, Sora stared at her for a moment. "Everything okay, Aqua?"

She swallowed a bit. "This is where I fought Terra."

Sora looked up, examining the area. The group was situated in the center of a courtyard, its insignia faded yet still distinct. Battle scars and tears from over a decade ago still remained in place. What disturbed Aqua most was the black scorch in the center… the very spot where her imprisonment in the Realm of Darkness was sealed. Just the sight of the battleground sent shivers down her spine. Fighting powerful opponents was bad enough, but fighting a friend generated far more pain.

Squinting his eyes, Mickey noticed a figure in the distance. The person leapt off a rooftop, landing in front of the Keyblade wielders.

The mouse smiled in relief. "Riku! Thank goodness you're okay!"

Although Mickey was relieved, Sora quickly realized something was wrong. His best friend's eyes had turned yellow. Furthermore, he was wearing his dark bodysuit.

Smirking sinisterly, the boy slowly raised his hand, a demonic weapon instantly forming in it. The Keyblade was mostly red and black, The young adult swung it at Mickey, intent on slicing his head right off. The King stared in shock, too stunned to react. The dark blade's tip was about to take out the Keyblade Master once and for all…

Until something stopped it. Riku looked to the side, locking his eyes with Sora. The boy pressed his Kingdom Key against Riku's Nightfall. Holding the deadlock with one hand, Sora held out his other arm to summon Oblivion.

"This look familiar, Riku?" he asked.

Widening his eyes at first, the youth with hair whiter than snow continued pushing against his friend's blade. Realizing he wasn't getting anywhere, Sora swung with his free Keyblade, forcing Riku to leap backwards.

"I know it's you, Xehanort… your Heartless pulled the same stunt!" he called out.

Riku cackled with laughter. "Fool! I'm not Xehanort! He only HELPED me realize my true potential."

Mickey, Kairi and Aqua stared in horror, hoping he was wrong.

"You have to snap out of it, Riku!" Mickey exclaimed. "Your darkness is yours and nobody else's."

Upon hearing that, the boy held his head in pain.

* * *

_Riku and Mickey stood in the halls of Castle Oblivion, the boy examining his hands. He knew Ansem wasn't gone for good._

"_It's still here," the boy muttered. "It's really faint, but I can sense him. So I think his darkness may still have a hold on me."_

"_Your darkness belongs to you!" Mickey assured him. "Just the same way your light does."_

* * *

Riku snapped his eyes open, growling at the pain. "Get out of my head, rodent!"

Immediately the youth blasted Dark Firaga at Mickey. The mouse deflected it with his golden Keyblade, assuming a fighting position.

The dark teenager grimaced at them. "My memories are filled with nothing but hatred towards you!"

"What?" Sora asked in confusion.

Aqua crossed her arms. "It seems Xehanort distorted his memory… making him think WE were the enemy."

"You ARE the enemy!" Riku barked. "And I won't let you stand in the way of my master's progress anymore!"

Slamming his weapon into the ground, the boy created a dark shockwave that knocked down his opponents.

Feeling her head land hard against the ground, Kairi gaped in horror to see the blade of a Keyblade softly resting against her throat. Riku stared at her with his cold amber eyes, apparently incapable of feeling guilt towards what he was about to do.

"Kairi… do you realize how much pain you've caused me?" he asked. "I've always looked out for you… from the time you landed on our shores to the events at Xemnas's castle. I've saved your life so many times… and yet not ONCE did you ever thank me."

The girl lowered her eyelids, realizing he might be right. "Riku… I wasn't trying to hurt you-"

"But you DID!" he growled. "I once cared for you so deeply that I considered you as more than a friend. Yet those affections were completely unreturned! The only person to gain your infatuation was that scrawny child sprawled on his back over there!"

Suddenly, something fiery blasted against Riku's back, slamming him into the concrete. The boy raised his head, glaring at the sight of Sora.

The dual wielder rested the hot tips of his Keyblades against the ground. "Who's laying down now? Come on, Riku, I thought you were better than that!"

His head aching in pain once more, the teenager squeezed his eyes shut in pain.

* * *

_Two friends jogged along the beach, one of them lagging behind the other._

_Riku turned back to Sora. "Giving up already? Come on, Sora… I thought you were better than that!"_

* * *

His once negative emotions slowly began to change. Yet he still had rage… he still had hatred. And he still had his POWER.

"Enough, Sora!" the older teenager cried out.

He raised his hands, summoning a fiery inferno that cascaded around Kairi. Riku calmly stepped forth, the flames having no effect on his figure. Yet somehow, Kairi knew she wouldn't be so lucky if the embers consumed her.

"I'm taking care of you first," he muttered darkly.

Trying to develop a solution, Kairi began reminiscing about their past. "Come on, Riku. Snap out of it! Sora needs our help to fight Xehanort! You know how helpless he is without us."

Slowly, the boy felt his head twinge in pain. Yet slowly, the pain died out. "That memory won't be nearly enough to overcome my anger."

Kairi was desperate. She didn't know what could save Riku from all his hatred. Yet light wasn't the answer. From her own experience, Kairi saw that light only created darker shadows. Something else was needed to restore his memory.

Finally, her mind clicked in realization. Calmly, the girl dismissed her Keyblade and stepped toward him. She wrapped her arms around him, tightly holding onto him.

The teenager chuckled. "Pathetic. THIS is the best you can come up with? A hug?"

She shook her head. "Riku, no matter what happens to you… you'll always matter to me."

The phrase rang a bell… calling a distant memory somewhere in the recesses of Riku's heart. Rather than stop the pain, Riku felt almost obliged to let the nostalgia engulf him.

* * *

_Kari and Riku stood on the white walkway, Saix's portal of darkness disappeared for good._

_The girl stared up, confused to see the tan face of Ansem rather than her close friend. "Riku, what happened?"_

"_I failed, Kairi," he replied. "I tried to resist Ansem's darkness… but in order to awaken Sora, I had to turn into him. I wasn't strong enough without his power."_

_The two remained silent for a moment, both of them taking it in._

"_You're probably ashamed to see me like this," he commented._

_She gazed up in shock. "What? Why would I?"_

_He turned to her, angry. "Look at me, Kairi! I've turned into what we tried to destroy! I've embraced the very force that's responsible for so much destruction in this realm!"_

"_You're still a good person, Riku," she argued._

_He looked to the side. "Is that how our friends will react once they see me? Probably not. I can never return to the islands like this. The darkness has made my existence meaningless. I'm doomed to be a monster now."_

_Suddenly, he felt something wrap tightly around him. Looking down, he saw Kairi embracing him._

"_Riku… no matter what you do… no matter what dark forces take hold of you… you will ALWAYS matter to me," she stated._

_He smiled softly, returning her embrace. "Thank you, Kairi."_

* * *

The boy snapped his eyes open, slowly regaining his true memories. The amber in his eyes faded away, overcome by his shade of cyan. He looked down at Kairi, overcome with his feelings toward her.

"Kairi… forgive me for that," he pleaded.

She nodded. "Of course."

Suddenly, Riku lowered his embrace, his hands now softly holding her waist. "I'll try to make it up to you."

Before the princess could protest, the Master of Darkness touched her lips with his own. The girl gasped in surprise as a blush spread across her cheeks. Everything felt so confusing at the moment. She didn't know whether to stop his advances or return them.

But did she even WANT to stop him? Riku had looks AND personality, not to mention a habit of constantly protecting her. Maybe it was better she had broken up with Sora.

Yet she couldn't deny her feelings for Sora either, forcing her to make a painful decision either way.

And what if Riku didn't react well? What if rejecting him reignited that darkness within him? Just because she believed in him didn't mean she was ignorant.

Kairi nervously watched as Riku's lips approached hers, panicking to make a choice.

* * *

From the walkways of Hollow Bastion, Sinarem watched with pleasure as Riku approached the Keyblade warriors. He was confident Riku would be able to fulfill his objective. After all, the Keyblade warriors would have difficulty fighting him once they learned he wasn't truly possessed. Everything was working according to plan.

Suddenly, the Nobody heard a noise behind him. It sounded like a mix of metal and animal. Yet no such creature existed to his knowledge. Unless…

The old man turned in surprise, staring at an all too familiar suit of armor. Its cape blowing in the wind, Terra aimed his Keyblade at the Nobody.

"You mistake me for him?" he asked. "Fool. You and I are far different from ordinary people. We are all that REMAINS and nothing more. You cannot hope to return to normal."

The sentiment ignored him, morphing his weapon into a cannon. Swirls of light sparked from within it as the channels on its back pumped in and out. The energy erupted from the large gun, revealed to be orbs of light aimed at the old man.

Sinarem teleported away from the attack, evading all of the orbs. Yet instead of floating above the ground, the orbs continued to fall like artillery. Confused at first, his golden eyes expanded with understanding. The Nobody summoned a dark shield of energy as a bright explosion overtook him. The light broke the shields soon enough, knocking him on his back.

He stood up, glaring at the armored figure as it charged forth. Summoning his blue blades, the emotionless man rushed forth. The two locked blades, neither gaining an edge over the other. For one so aged, Sinarem was anything but feeble. He exchanged strikes and guards with the sentiment as if he were its equal.

"I'm surprised Xehanort had so much trouble with you!" he taunted. "You're a shadow of your former self, Terra!"

Suddenly, the armor levitated in the air, a dark red aura surrounding him. Sinarem stared at him intently, waiting for him to strike…

Until he vanished. Out of nowhere, the metal suit had vanished into thin air. The Nobody looked to both sides, trying to find him. He gritted his teeth in frustration… right before gaping his mouth in pain. The hooded man felt blow after blow inflict upon his back by the armor's Ends of the Earth. Just when he thought he couldn't take anymore, the assault paused for a moment. Believing it was his chance to strike, Sinarem turned around while slashing his blades.

Yet he only hit the air. The armor appeared once more, this time in front of him. Sinarem summoned a crystal cube around himself, determined to keep his internal organs intact. Yet the Lingering Sentiment refused to quit. He continued the onslaught, slowly rotating around the cube as he restlessly struck it. Finally, with lightning coursing through him, the figure brought down his weapon, shattering the cube into countless shards.

Sinarem slid against the ground, holding on to the concrete for dear life. He knelt in immobility, his whole body wracked with pain. The Sentiment extended his weapon, swinging it back and forth like a rope. The Nobody summoned his own energy rope, entangling it with the armor's. The two pulled, each trying to win their tug of war. Yet the armor was incredibly powerful, able to pull forth both ropes in mere seconds.

Filled with false rage, the emotionless man held his hands together, forming a mass of dark energy. The power grew, slowly expanding into a much larger sphere.

Sinarem smiled. "Tell me, creature… how can you fight if you can't MOVE?"

He slammed the orb into the ground, severely increasing the gravity. The edges of the balcony cracked and fell off, shattering against the ground far below in less than a second.

The force was affecting the sentiment as well. The edges of the armor began to crack and bend, unable to withstand the force of the Graviga spell. Suddenly, Terra's ghost was on his knees.

Arrogant and satisfied, the Nobody laughed. "This is a glorious day! First Aqua will die… and then you shall be destroyed! All of my old enemies will be crushed at long last!"

The Lingering Sentiment lowered its head, feeling powerless and alone. Yet even when he felt like this in the past… someone was always there for him…

* * *

_Dazed and confused, Terra found himself in a golden room._

"_Terra!" a girl cried out._

_He looked to his left, staring in shock. "Aqua?"_

_The bluenette rushed up to him, supporting him on her shoulder. "Don't give up, I'm going to save you."_

"_But… how?" he asked. "The darkness… it's too strong."_

"_Then use my LIGHT!" she replied._

_Suddenly, Xehanort's black demon appeared before them, roaring like a beast._

_Gritting his teeth, Terra held up the old man's former Keyblade. "LIGHT!"_

_Aqua smiled, holding up hers as well. And as they did, the black spirit slowly dissolved in the white euphoria._

* * *

No… he couldn't give up… not when he was so close. He couldn't abandon Aqua to her fate. Terra's armor looked up, seething with rage at the face he hated most… the man who ruined absolutely EVERYTHING in his life.

Xehanort.

Still unable to stand, Terra stepped forward with his knees still bent. He continued to crouch towards his enemy, filled with incredible rage.

Panicking Sinarem zapped his sphere with electricity, increasing the gravity's strength. Terra's cape was ripped from the armor, yet the figure continued forward. With every step came more cracks and scars, yet the spirit couldn't fail.

Now mere inches from Sinarem, Terra's armor raised his Keyblade. The weapon was suddenly a group of glowing crystals. Yet something seemed violent about their designs. Their tips were shaped like… gun barrels…

Before he could even react, the crystals unloaded barrages of light onto Sinarem, weakening him beyond belief. The man cried out in pain before the last shot exploded against his chest, knocking him unconscious.

The gravity sphere faded away, giving Terra's armor the chance to stand. He towered over the Nobody, determined to finish it off as he raised his ancient Keyblade.

"Killing a weaponless opponent is hardly honorable," a deep voice boomed.

The sentiment turned, recognizing the thief before him. Xehanort stood with his arms crossed and a sneer on Terra's corrupted face.

* * *

Sora, Mickey, and Aqua waited with anticipation as the inferno died out. The trio gasped in shock at what it revealed. Kairi and Riku were completely embracing each other, each hungrily kissing the other. The brown haired boy felt his heart sink, realizing immediately that she must have changed her mind.

Kairi turned to them, smiling softly to hide her shame. "He's back to normal."

"Yeah… that's great…" Sora muttered.

Riku stopped smiling when he remembered one final detail. "Oh no… Sora, I'm sorry! I forgot you two were dating!"

"No… we broke up…" Sora said.

The boy glared at Kairi. "For good apparently."

"Sora…" she said sadly.

Before the princess could present an excuse, a hunk of metal crashed in the ground between them. The group looked upon it in shock to see a mangled version of Terra's armor, with one of its arms missing and most of its metal completely dented.

Aqua looked up to see someone floating in the sky. Although she couldn't make out the face, the white hair made it obvious.

"Xehanort!" she barked.

The man flew back to the top of the castle, a glint of a smile on his face.

Sora activated his armor, racing after the manipulator.

Aqua picked up Terra's suit, looking at it sorrowfully. "You came after all…"

"We need to get going, Aqua!" Mickey exclaimed.

"I'll summon a path," Riku stated.

With a snap of his fingers, a dark corridor appeared, and the group rushed inside.

* * *

The top of Ansem's castle was surprisingly flat. The arena had three insignias in the center: that of the Heartless, that of the Nobodies, and that of Xehanort's blue eyed weapons.

Sora confidently stepped forward, now standing a few feet from Xehanort. The dark master was dressed in his traditional white, black and red cloak. Somewhat confused as to why he had Xemnas's face, Sora silently reminded himself that it was still Terra's body.

Taking a deep breath, the boy mentally prepared himself. This was the final faceoff. All his training and experience had prepared him for this moment. Two men would enter combat… one would emerge victorious. And Sora HAD to win. The fate of the worlds was at stake. And destruction was one destiny the realm had to avoid.

"I've waited patiently for this moment, Sora," the man stated.

"So have I, Xehanort," he responded. "You're going to pay for all the ruin you've inflicted upon this realm."

The man chuckled. "Foolish boy. Ruin brings about only creation."

Sora glanced from side to side. "Doesn't look like anything's been created yet… except that false philosophy of yours."

The man held his grin. "You truly are ignorant. Yet soon your purpose will be realized. Soon the Keyblade War shall reignite!"

Dark flames surrounded the two, taking on the shape of a heart. The flames erupted into the sky, forming a somewhat clear barrier of darkness. And as they shot into the sky, storm clouds engulfed the world, darkening the entire town.

A dark portal emerged beside the cage, unveiling Kairi and the others. The redhead looked on with worry as Sora faced the villain.

Noticing her concern, Aqua held her shoulder. "Don't worry. With any luck, Sora will make it out of this."

Kairi furrowed her eyebrows. "Weren't you the one who said he shouldn't face him?"

Aqua nodded. "Yes. But I've been wrong before…"

The group peered inside as Xehanort equipped his Keyblade. He held the weapon like an axe, prepared to slice Sora in pieces as if he were wood.

The Keyblade apprentice took out his own Keyblades: Ultima and Oblivion. He pressed the metal on his outfit, quickly transforming into his armored form.

"I don't care what your intentions are," Sora stated. "Today you will suffer for all the lives you've tormented!"

"Then let the sorrow commence!" the man replied.

Sora made the first move, dashing towards his opponent with all his haste. He swung his Keyblades in a blurred flurry of strikes. Xehanort was somewhat impressed by his speed, yet rather than block the attacks, simply floated away at a safe range. Sora stood in place, throwing both weapons at him like boomerangs. Xehanort dodged the first Strike Raid, and blocked the second one. Confidently landing, the man unexpectedly felt something knock him down. The manipulator looked up to see Oblivion return to Sora's hand.

Realizing the boy was more skilled than he thought, Xehanort rushed towards him, trading strikes and guards with him. Sora held his own, able to stop the Keyblade Master's advances. Seeing an opening, Sora swung towards his head, only for Xehanort to duck and kick him back.

Sora lost his footing, immediately falling on his back. He quickly stood up, and raised both Keyblades in the air. "Thunder!"

Bolts of lightning erupted from the stormy sky, racing towards Xehanort. The man summoned a simple square barrier, angling it so the electricity deflected towards Sora. The boy held up his Keyblade, blocking most of the electricity. A few sparks still left scorches on his armor.

Ignoring the twinge of pain from the attack, Sora aimed his Keyblades forward yet again. "Wind!"

A small tornado overtook Xehanort, sending the man into the air. The boy leapt towards him, engaging him in midair combat. Xehanort blocked blow after blow, finally knocking Sora away with a vertical strike. Both men skidded against the ground until slowing to a halt.

Xehanort aimed his Keyblade at Sora, shooting volleys of Dark Firaga. Sora sprinted out of the way, evading the blasts as they passed bye. Seeing that magic was having no success, the dark lord teleported in front of the boy, slashing his blade as pink petals emitted from it. Sora barely blocked each strike, yet he refused to let that show.

"What kind of attack has flowers?" the boy taunted.

To end the combo, Xehanort slammed the axe into the ground, sending a burst of energy into the teenager.

"GAHHH!" Sora cried out in pain.

Aqua looked on with concern. "Sora!"

The boy glanced behind him, still holding his stance. "I'm fine!"

Focusing on Xehanort again, Sora saw the man transforming his Keyblade. The weapon grew exponentially in size and shape, taking on the form of some kind of launcher. Realizing the tip was glowing, the boy cast Reflega and hoped for the best.

"Sink into darkness!" the manipulator exclaimed.

A red orb slowly protruded from the cannon, and as it grew near Sora, it suddenly exploded. The dark energy shattered the feeble shield, and Sora was knocked back again.

The boy stood up, refusing to quit. He felt a white glow engulf his body, leading him to levitate in the air as his Keyblades twirled around him. Now in his Final Form command style, Sora glided towards Xehanort at lightning speed. The man tried to block Sora's attacks, yet every blow slowly weakened his guard. After a final slash, Sora flipped into the air. His Keyblades in hand, the boy dived toward Xehanort, drilling against his weapon with his own.

Realizing his guard would break any moment, Xehanort teleported away. The boy turned back to him, realizing a purple energy was encompassing him. Xehanort charged forward, slashing toward the hero as his whole figure glowed with darkness. Sora blocked each slash, expecting Xehanort to have another strange Keyblade finisher.

Instead, Xehanort punched with his free hand, as if he intended to break the boy's guard with his bare fist. Instead the fist grew in size, turning into a giant red claw. The claw knocked Sora away, tilting his head toward the sky.

The warrior looked back, yet instead of the dark master, all he saw was a purple aura racing toward him. Not knowing what to expect, Sora felt a giant hand erupt from underneath, sending him into the sky.

He quickly oriented himself, diving towards Xehanort with his Keyblades raised. He was now within striking range, and completely ready to inflict pain against the monster.

Yet something stopped him. A TRUE monster. The same black beast that Xehanort's Heartless once used now held Sora in its seemingly unbreakable grasp.

Smiling, Xehanort approached the boy. "By the way, Sora, I forgot to mention… I hold the power of ALL my past incarnations."

The boy looked up to see an array of red lasers form above him… the same ones Xemnas once used. The lasers pounded against him, weakening him with every blast. Sora struck the beast with his Keyblade as hard as he could, yet he simply didn't have the leverage for a powerful attack. It seemed hopeless. Another powerful attack would probably knock him out.

Xehanort held up his weapon, charging a dark orb at its tip. "Prepare for Oblivion Sora!"

This was it. Sora didn't have the power to break free. Unless…

Before the thief could even aim his weapon, a dark orb encompassed Sora. The Guardian creature was pushed back, growling in frustration. Both stared as the orb faded away, revealing an all too familiar form.

Black hair.

A red bodysuit.

And cold golden eyes.

Sora had taken on Vanitas's form yet again. "Let's finish this, Xehanort!"

The man laughed heartily. "Finally, I've confirmed the truth with my own eyes! Now the moment for my reunion has arrived!"

Xehanort blasted a dark beam towards Sora, leading the boy to summon a black orb as his shield. Strangely, it broke through the barrier… piercing directly into Sora's chest.

Shocked and confused, the boy hung in midair as the beam continued to pour into him.

"I had hoped that something remained of Vanitas… and now, with your darkness, I can bring him back!" Xehanort screamed.

As Sora's eyes drooped close, the heart shaped inferno died out. A small black orb emerged from Sora, and slowly began to grow in size.

"Sora!" Aqua cried out.

The woman caught her apprentice before he hit the ground. The others gazed with nervousness as the black sphere began to grow. It soon vanished, revealing a new figure.

The man was tall, around Riku's height. His muscles were far larger, now rivaling even Terra's. His face was older as well… yet the dark hair and amber eyes easily gave away his identity.

Aqua looked up, snarling at him. "Vanitas!"

The adult smiled. "Aqua, so good to see you again!"

Xehanort stepped beside him. "Vanitas, welcome back."

He turned around, quickly kneeling. "Thank you master."

The Keyblade Master turned away for a moment. "Now we can move on with the plan. Once we dispose-"

Suddenly, Xehanort was overcome by undeniable pain. He looked up to see his Guardian dissolve into ashes. Looking down, he gazed in horror.

Void Gear… the very Keyblade he had given to Vanitas… was now sticking out of his chest. The other half was being held by his traitorous apprentice.

"I've waited FAR too long for that," the man remarked.

Xehanort fell against the ground, his cheek resting against the cold stone. "Why?"

The apprentice glared at him. "Is it really that surprising? I'm pure darkness, old man. Obviously I'm susceptible to hatred. And I did NOT like the way you tried to manipulate the Unversed and me for your own selfish goals."

"I needed your help," the master countered.

"And I needed yours," Vanitas replied. "You helped create the scenario where I finally wielded the power to unlock Kingdom Hearts: the X-Blade! The original plan was to use Ven's added power to kill you once I had it and unlock Kingdom Hearts for myself rather than wait for a war to start."

He turned his head, smiling toward the woman. "Aqua, of course, screwed up that plan."

The woman leered at him, leading Vanitas to turn back to Xehanort.

"When Ven and Aqua defeated me spiritually and physically, I was incredibly weak," he explained. "What little remained of me survived in Sora. Yet I couldn't exist on my own yet. I needed more power, otherwise I would have been unstable like Ven was at first."

He laughed a bit. "So I convinced the fool to use my power, and with every strike my strength returned! Now I'm stronger than ever before… stronger than even you."

"Defeating me does not make you superior," Xehanort spat.

The man encircled him. "Then what does? Having more wisdom than you? Being more cautious than you? Face it, Xehanort, you're a failure. The realms are about to be revised… and you're just an error to be removed."

Vanitas turned back to the others, smiling at them. "If you want to find me… which I KNOW you will… meet me at the Keyblade Graveyard."

Opening a dark corridor, he paused for a moment. "And just as incentive…"

The boy shot a dark blast into the air, turning into a huge sphere of darkness that began consuming everything. "I'd say you have a few minutes to leave."

Mickey charged toward him, determined to stop him. Yet before he could, Vanitas and the corridor vanished into obscurity.

"Darn it," the mouse muttered.

"We can't let him get away," Sora stated.

Everyone turned to him. "Sora!"

"You're still awake?" Riku asked in shock.

He nodded weakly, quickly healing himself with Curaga. Leaping to his feet, the boy approached the King. "Your Majesty, we need the star shard. I'd rather not risk the dark corridor with Vanitas and the Heartless and Nobodies crawling around."

Suddenly, the Aqua saw something bright out of the corner of her eye. From Xehanort's unseen chest, an orb of light emerged, floating off the edge. Almost at the same time, an orb of light emerged from Terra's armor, racing towards the body.

"Vanitas must have accidentally released Xehanort's heart!" Mickey noted.

The heart overtook the body, and a blinding flash of light engulfed it. As the light faded away, Aqua gazed in shock.

The man was tall, with a frame that could rival bodybuilders.

His brown mane was spiky and long, in the same style as Xemnas.

And the face was Xemnas's… yet the skin was pale… the eyes were blue.

Most of all, his smile. His unforgettably confident smile…

Was Terra's.

Aqua felt tears fall down her cheeks as she rushed towards him. "Terra!"

The man hugged her, speaking with a voice that hadn't been heard for years. "Aqua. I'm so glad you're okay."

He was tempted to kiss her, yet he didn't let his lust overcome his judgment. Both of them had been through a lot. And right now, at this moment... all Terra wanted to do was hold the person he cared for most in his arms.

Aqua felt so relieved. Terra, the love of her life, was with her again. She wanted to nuzzle into his powerful chest just as she had years ago. Yet it didn't seem appropriate. In fact, simply holding him was all the satisfaction and comfort she needed.

Slowly the two opened their eyes, and shut them slightly as a blinding portal appeared.

"Sorry, but we gotta hurry!" Mickey announced. "I don't know what Vanitas is up to, but we can't lose track of him now!"

Nodding in agreement, the others followed suit toward the portal. Before they could enter, they heard a dark corridor appear. From it emerged the crawling form of Xehanort... in his old body.

Terra scowled at him. "Shouldn't you be dead?"

The elder cough. "Soon enough I will be. But before I go, I must tell you all the truth."

The group turned towards him, prodding him to elaborate. "For years I traveled this realm, learning all I could. And I've found that incomplete beings like Heartless and Nobodies will ALWAYS exist. The only way to stop them is to use the power of Kingdom Hearts to reunite the worlds. These incomplete creatures exist only so that the universe may try to reach an equilibrium of light and darkness. With the power of Kingdom Hearts, all those who lost their lives can come back, and all the chaos will finally come to an end."

"But how could we even understand how to use that power?" Sora asked. "It just seems so complex."

"It is... but that is why those who enter Kingdom Hearts become something MORE than human," Xehanort said. "Please, amend my mistakes... I regret everything I've done. At first, all I wanted was to help the worlds. But as my quest continued, I was corrupted and convinced that only I was fit to rule as overlord of a perfect utopia."

Terra approached him. "Apologies and advice won't earn us your forgiveness."

The man hacked as he felt the end nearing. "I'm sorry, Terra. And tell Eraqus I'm sorry for betraying him. I was convinced that I could save the worlds... yet in the end I couldn't save myself."

Mickey crossed his arms. "So you're not coming back as a Heartless?"

He weakly shook his head. "No, I am complete now. And now I die a natural death... as I should at this age."

Shutting his eyes, Xehanort fell limp against the ground. Seeing the man was completely immobile, the group approached the portal yet again.

Sora was about to enter, yet took one last look at the destructive sky.

"I don't think we can save the world now, Sora," Kairi told him.

He looked back at her, sadly glaring at her. "And I don't think I can save what we had."

The boy stepped inside, leaving the girl to leave behind with her guilt building. Now crying from her pain and confusion, the princess and breaker of hearts stepped into the portal.


	17. Chapter 17: Dearly Beloved

**Kingdom Hearts: Reconnection of Souls**

**Chapter 17: Dearly Beloved**

_AN: Well, here it is everyone. The final chapter of the story. I'd like to thank ALL of you for the support and frequent reviews as I've gone through this story. Honestly, I doubt this is how KH3 will turn out. But this is FANfiction anyway, so it doesn't matter. Enjoy the finale!_

Tender arms around white hair.

Strong arms entangling a red mane.

His lips against hers.

Floating amidst myriads of light, Sora still couldn't get the image out of his mind. Kairi had KISSED Riku. The girl he wanted to be with had essentially chosen someone else. Although he felt the rage boil within him, it didn't give him the same invigoration it once did. In the past, negative emotions would fill Sora with darkness. The force was so great that he could even take on Vanitas's power at will.

Yet now he felt completely different. Since Vanitas was extracted from him, it felt like Sora had been purified of any dark power.

Which made him wonder… could he defeat the dark apprentice now? The boy… no… the MAN claimed he had grown even stronger since Sora had borrowed his power often enough.

"Sora…" a voice called out, reeling him back to reality.

The boy looked ahead, noticing that Riku was approaching him.

"Riku," he remarked.

"I just wanted to apologize again… I feel awful about all of this," he explained.

Sora nodded. "I understand. But it wasn't your fault. I could see the amnesia from your expression."

"Well I'm glad you're not angry at me," the taller boy replied. "But I really think you should talk to her."

Sora narrowed his eyes. "Why bother? We're not dating anymore."

"The kiss may not have happened for the reasons you think," the teenager pointed out.

Giving in to his forgiving and kind nature, Sora approached the redhead. She was sitting on the current of light, her arms crossed over her legs. The mere sight of tears on her face made Sora sad.

"I always hated watching you cry," the boy noted.

Shocked, Kairi looked up. "Sora?"

His face still expressionless, the boy sat next to her. "I just don't understand… why did you do it?"

Kairi bit her lip. "When Riku advanced toward me, I felt conflicted. I started wondering if maybe I had feelings for him. At the time it seemed rational… he has great qualities."

Sora lowered his eyelids.

"But the moment that thought entered my head, I instantly remembered how strongly I feel for you," Kairi said.

He raised his eyebrows in surprise, gazing at her.

"I think about you everyday. You were always on my mind long before any of these adventures began," the princess said. "The reason I kissed Riku, however, is because I needed to make sure he would stay the same. And when I let him kiss me… I let my lust overcome me. I know I shouldn't have given into the heat of the moment… I know I should have found an alternative to helping him fully resist Xehanort… and I know you have every reason to be angry at me."

Sora mused over this for a moment. "I can never stay angry at you, Kairi."

She widened her eyes at him. "What?"

He nodded. "I shouldn't have been so hard on you in the past. It's not your fault the islands fell to darkness, and you can't be blamed for the predicament Riku was in. You've only HELPED me along this journey so far, Kairi. And I'm not sure I'd have made it this far without you."

The girl smiled. "Thank you, Sora. I'm glad I could help."

For a moment, the two remained silent.

"I care about you so much, Sora," the girl admitted. "And I know you feel the same way. But I'm still having trouble knowing whether this is love or just lust."

"I'll promise you this," Sora stated. "After this is all over… we can figure US out."

Then Kairi saw the determination in his eyes. They weren't the innocent blue irises they once were. The shade seemed to have change over the years… just as he had.

Suddenly, the two noticed Aqua approach the boy. "Sora, how are you feeling?"

Spotting his trademark grin, he crossed his arms behind his head. "A little tired, but not too bad."

"I just wanted to say… I'm sorry," Aqua remarked.

He gazed up in puzzlement. "What?"

"If I hadn't been so stunned by the appearance of Terra's armor, I could have made it to Xehanort first," she explained. "And if I did, we wouldn't have to deal with Vanitas."

Sora shook his head. "No, I screwed up. I got arrogant and underestimated him. But I won't be overconfident this time."

The woman smiled. "We'll all stop him. Together."

The boy grinned in response, thankful that despite his disobedience, his master still wished to help him.

"Aqua," a deep voice called out.

The woman turned, noticing Terra at the far end of the pathway. She approached him, joyfully reveling at his sight. "I can't believe you're back."

The man smiled. "It feels weird having a body again… especially one so much older."

"So this whole time, your heart has been in your armor?" the woman asked.

He shook his head. "Not always. Once my heart was expelled from my body by Xehanort's Keyblade, I briefly wandered the darkness. I found refuge in a young boy's heart… the same one I passed my Keyblade onto."

Aqua widened her eyes, glancing at said teenager. "Riku…"

Terra nodded. "It seemed fitting. I had to keep my promise to return, after all. A year ago, however, I was cast out of his body by a machine's explosion… the same one that freed him from Xehanort's control. I wandered the darkness for months, barely keeping myself from being consumed. To hold on to my light, I constantly cycled my memories."

He looked to the side, smiling. "Contrary to our group's belief, life has treated me decently overall. I've had wonderful friends, a compassionate father figure. But the true source of my stability… the person with whom I shared my best memories…"

The man held her by the shoulders. "… was you, Aqua. You're the reason I'm here now… in more ways than one."

She softly held his hand. "I'll always be there to help you, Terra. But I've still hurt you before…"

He narrowed his gaze. "What?"

"Your darkness," she replied. "If I hadn't accused you like I had in Radiant Garden… if I had been more supportive… you might not have fallen so deeply into it."

"Without darkness, Aqua, we'd all be dead right now," Terra stated. "I HATE what Master Xehanort used it for. I HATE how Vanitas uses it. But I cannot hate the element itself. If I relied solely on my light, that elderly monster would have won utter control of Kingdom Hearts years ago."

The woman mused over this. "You're probably right. And I've learned that darkness isn't evil. It's a force, and ultimately can be used for egotistic or altruistic reasons."

Terra clenched his fist. "That's why I'm going to use all of my power to stop Vanitas."

Suddenly, Aqua found herself wrapping her arms around his waist. "Please… just be careful this time. I couldn't bear losing you again."

The woman couldn't deny herself anymore. His insight… his valor… his determination… everything she loved about Terra was still there.

Terra began losing his focus as he stared at her. The woman he believed to be dead for years was alive. Her very scent invigorated him, fueling him with an inspiration that seemed to melt away some of his rage.

The two stood there, each pair of blue orbs locked with the other. As the surroundings began to erupt with white light, the two painfully shut their eyes, letting their lips finally meet.

* * *

Ever since he was a child, Sora loved the sand. The warm sensation against his feet instilled him with joy.

Yet now it was different.

The sand he now stood on didn't belong to a vibrant beach.

It was part of a desert. A barren wasteland long forgotten to most.

And as he stood beside the white portal, Sora began to understand why the Keyblade was so dangerous.

Craters the size of asteroids were scattered across the environment.

"This is where everything was fractured," Terra stated.

Sora noticed the tall man as well as the others emerge from the portal.

"So where should we start looking?" Sora asked.

As they group began contemplating, Aqua stared into the distance. A shadow began to form in a cloud of dust.

The silhouette was difficult to ascertain, yet whoever it was certainly had a broad figure.

The enigma grew closer, near enough for Aqua to recognize the glint in his eyes…

His ruthless yellow eyes.

"Vanitas," she snarled.

The other Keyblade warriors turned, watching intently as his face emerged from the dust.

Disturbingly enough, he was smiling.

And even though she had barely seen his face before…

Aqua HATED that grin.

The man stood before them, calmly holding Void Gear at his side. "This is like a family reunion! Too bad the pessimistic blonde boy isn't here though."

Terra's arms tensed in anger. "You'll regret the day he was murdered!"

Vanitas held a hand over his chest. "Why would I kill Ven? All his flaws make me feel better about myself!"

Before the man could snap again, Aqua held his shoulder. "It's alright. Ven's alive and safe."

Terra looked at her in shock. "What?"

"See!" Vanitas yelled, quickly gripping everyone's attention. "I'm not evil… just misunderstood… right?"

"We all know that's not true," the woman countered.

Still smirking, the man approached her. "Aqua, why are you so hostile toward me? And to think I spared your life TWICE."

"You're just twisting the truth," the woman retorted.

The unmasked man sighed, shaking his head a bit. And as he continued the act, something threw Sora off.

As if the man wasn't faking.

As if his intentions were GENUINE.

Yet Aqua hadn't changed her opinion. "How could you expect us to believe you're good? You've tried to kill most of us before… you even killed the man who raised you!"

He nodded. "The man who raised me was psychotic. Initially he claimed he wanted to help the world… but judging from the way he acted, it's obvious how sadistic Xehanort was."

"You're as much of a sadist!" Aqua exclaimed.

The man began growling. "WOULD YOU STOP TREATING ME LIKE THIS?"

Aqua widened her eyes, surprised by his tone.

"I've spared your life… I went against my master's teachings to give you a purpose besides death… I even leant my power to Sora so you imbeciles would survive!" the man shouted.

"Then why have you fought us before?" Terra asked.

The man slapped his head. "Being trapped in someone's body for years gives you time to think. I started reassessing everything… and slowly I began to realize something…"

He glanced at the dry rock for a moment. Before long though, he looked up again. "You have no idea what it was like training under that madman…"

* * *

_The young teenager fell flat on his back, the pain quickly surging through his body._

_Panting hysterically while hoping his heart wouldn't burst, the boy looked up to see a frown upon the elder's face._

"_It's not enough," Xehanort said. "You need to push yourself further."_

_Gritting his teeth, the boy stood up. "I'm trying my hardest, master!"_

"_I am concerned with results… not efforts, Vanitas," the man countered._

_The boy slowly began to catch his breath, yet his anger didn't die._

_It continued to build… until finally it took on a physical form…_

_The creature was purple and small, appearing to be incredibly swift. Its red eyes matched the tint of its creator's bodysuit._

"_Kill it," Xehanort commanded._

_He gazed up. "But-"_

_The moment he even began to refuse, Vanitas felt the dull hilt of Xehanort's Keyblade slap him across the face. The boy fell over on his side, practically whimpering in pain._

"_Defiant ingrate!" the man spat. "I don't care how much it hurts you… destroy that creature!"_

_Swallowing the pain, the teenager stood up. He summoned Void Gear, turning the Unversed into dust with one burst of fire._

_Yet the destroyed creature wasn't the only one in pain._

_Vanitas clutched his side, reeling hurtfully from his pet's destruction._

"_It's a never ending cycle," Xehanort explained. "You destroy the Unversed, which fills you with pain. The harm ignites your negative emotions, thus making MORE Unversed."_

_The old master smiled, raising his arms as he clenched his fists. "Someday your darkness will reach its potential! And once you merge with Ven, you will have inconceivable power!"_

_The boy crossed his arms. "And what if I don't want to join with him?"_

"_Do you ENJOY having near death experiences?" he inquired. "The only way to prevent the pain is through Kingdom Hearts' power. And once the second Keyblade War is over, you will have the chance to gain it."_

"_I want more than that," Vanitas remarked. "I can feel Ven's positive emotions. I have glimpses of friendship… and it makes me envious."_

"_Then feed off the jealousy… not the joy!" Xehanort commanded. "Relying on negative emotions will increase your darkness even more!"_

_He glared up toward him. "You're insane."_

"_And you're an abomination," the Keyblade Master replied. "Perhaps those flaws make us a good team."_

* * *

The Keyblade wielders gazed in shock.

"I had no idea," Kairi muttered.

Aqua looked at him guiltily. "So whenever an Unversed dies…"

Vanitas clutched his chest. "I'm thrown into pain."

"So what do you want?" Terra asked.

"To repair myself… holding in the Unversed doesn't keep me safe from harm," he explained.

Sora narrowed his eyes. "You want Kingdom Hearts."

The man with his face extended his arm. "With your help, of course."

As the teen stared in confusion, Aqua nodded in understanding. "You want to make the X-Blade."

"Why not?" Vanitas inquired. "Sora's pure light… I'm pure darkness… it could definitely work!"

"So what will happen to us?" the boy asked.

"The same as what's happened before," the dark warrior replied. "You gain my power… and yet don't lose a bit of yourself. With the X-Blade, you can enter Kingdom Hearts."

Sora mused over this. He had called upon Vanitas's strength COUNTLESS times in the past. Yet not once was he possessed… not once did Vanitas try to take over.

"Okay," the boy responded.

He took Vanitas's hand, feeling the darkness overtake his body. Smiling, Vanitas morphed into smoke that overtook Sora.

As his body shook with newfound power, Sora felt something build up inside…

Only to brightly erupt towards the sky.

His friends looked on in awe as a blue light began to form above. The dusty clouds slowly parted, revealing the desert's only oasis…

Kingdom Hearts.

Despite their urge to keep looking, the light forcefully shut the group's eyes.

* * *

As the luminosity faded to normal, Kairi opened her orbs.

The sight before the girl brought a smile to her face.

Sora was calmly standing, his appearance the same as before. The only difference was the Keyblade in his hand. It was shaped like an X, with a bright tint.

"I'm so glad you're safe!" Kairi exclaimed.

While the girl embraced him, the boy slowly hugged back.

As the two continued to hug, Aqua felt that something was out of place.

Widening her eyes, she realized what it was.

His eyes were closed.

Suddenly, they opened, revealing not the cerulean eyes of innocence and compassion…

But amber eyes burning with desolation.

"Hello, gorgeous," he demonically cooed.

Two voices spoke. One was Sora's… yet the other…

Before Kairi could contemplate any further, 'Sora' glared at her, raising his weapon toward the sky.

Too stunned to react, the girl could only gasp as the blade neared her throat…

Yet it didn't slash against flesh.

It clashed against something metallic.

The blue edge of Aqua's Rainfall stood between Kairi and the legendary device.

"Release him, Vanitas!" the Keyblade Master commanded.

The boy laughed. "Oh I still need him."

Terra, Mickey and Riku began running towards the others. Noticing this, Vanitas extended his free hand. Darkness emitted from it, taking on the form of three creatures.

The trio was identical, each dressed in the same attire their master had worn over a decade ago.

Yet instead of crimson and violet shades… these beings had no color.

Their pattern was blandly black and white.

Rather than faces, each had a helmet with a strange insignia.

The male Keyblade warriors summoned their weapons, locking blades with the sentiments.

Vanitas stared at Aqua, continuing the deadlock. "Just like old times."

"I wish it weren't," she spat. "You deceived us!"

Ready to give an alibi, Vanitas noticed something move out of the corner of his eye.

Rotating his blade ever so slightly, the boy blocked an attack from Kairi, yet still held his deadlock against the two females.

"This is the problem with contemporary culture… people are such suckers for the tragic hero!" Vanitas exclaimed. "Commoners think that cruel people are misunderstood and should be forgiven since they had a bad childhood or some other nonsense. They think that with time, they could become good again…"

He smirked sadistically. "But here's the sad truth: once you're completely evil, there's no reconciliation! There's no reason for you to go back to the way things were. Bad is bad and nothing else!"

Feeling his body pulse with incredible energy, Vanitas knocked the duo on their backs. He knelt down, pressing his blade against Aqua's throat.

Aqua glared at him. "I truly HATE you!"

He shook his head. "No…"

The boy leaned towards her, uncomfortably close to her face.

Then, Aqua widened her eyes in fear, afraid of what might come next.

"Don't you dare kiss me!" she yelled.

He narrowed his eyes. "Relax! You're not that lucky, beautiful."

Hearing a snap, the woman lowered her vision to see what he had taken.

Her heart nearly stopped.

In the palm of his hand… was her blue charm… the star trinket she constantly carried around her neck.

Spotting a devilish grin, Vanitas closed his fist, crushing it into pieces.

Screaming, Aqua kicked him off.

She got to her feet, waiting for him to fall so she could hit him again.

Yet he never fell. Looking above in surprise, Aqua realized why.

His body was encompassed in a cyan beam from Kingdom Hearts.

"Now you hate me!" the boy shouted.

In the blink of an eye, Vanitas vanished, now residing in the heart far above.

As Aqua glared above, Kairi looked to the heavens with sorrow.

"Sora… please be alright," she whispered.

* * *

To most adolescent males, natural beauty was hard to find. Girls always found flowers or skies to be pretty, yet boys were different. Boys didn't see beauty so easily.

Yet even Sora… a boy… could see beauty when it blatantly stood before him.

And thus, he couldn't help but take in the awe of his new environment.

"Amazing," the teen muttered.

His blue eyes scanned the euphoric surroundings, seeing swirls of gold and white encircling him. The two colors blended together fluidly, creating an infinite sky he had never before seen.

Lowering his line of vision, Sora realized that he was on stained glass yet again.

Yet this time, the drawings were not of friends or loved ones.

Instead they depicted worlds. Already he could recognize the one below him as the Keyblade Graveyard.

"Is it everything you dreamed of?" a deep voice called out.

Sora reversed himself, glaring at the man towering before him.

"Thanks for being a man of your word, Vanitas," he said.

The adult smiled, his amber eyes filled with glee. "Come on, a few white lies never hurt anybody. We're here now… I fulfilled that part of the deal."

"Yet you still have that blade," Sora pointed out.

He raised his right arm, admiring the weapon. "Ah yes. The X-Blade. The equivalent of a trophy wife for my old master. The weapon's almost useless now… Kingdom Hearts will only unveil its power to one person… not to two."

"For a man you despised so much, you sure act a lot like him," the young doppelganger stated.

"A bad influence is still an influence," he responded. "Sort of like our relationship, wouldn't you say?"

"We're NOTHING alike!" Sora asserted.

Vanitas began encircling him like a vulture. "You don't see the similarities? I broke Ven's Keyblade, which upset Aqua… you broke Kairi's heart by chewing her out. You refuse to pursue any romantic relationship at the moment… and so do I. I've tried to kill people… you've tried to kill people."

He laughed a bit. "Actually, you HAVE killed people! I've seen into some of your memories… I know how you took out so many of those Nobodies in the past. I tip my hat to you, Sora. You're on the way to being a true villain."

"Vanitas, you're deranged," Sora told him.

He waved his hands. "Sorry, I meant ANTIHERO… not villain… I forgot how you guys think darkness can be good and that nobody is purely evil."

"You have it all wrong," Sora countered.

Vanitas stared at him, curious to hear his explanation.

"Darkness has been used for good far more than once," Sora stated. "Terra… Riku… I'm sure even some heroes of the Keyblade War used darkness. But darkness doesn't make you evil. It might lead to evil, but it doesn't guarantee it."

Sora extended his arm. "As far as absolute evil… I've only met one person who's personified that."

He summoned the Ultima weapon, ready to battle. "You, Vanitas!"

Sora swung towards Vanitas, quickly finding his blade against the X-Blade. The metallic edges grinded against one another, neither gaining the edge. The boy ended the deadlock, pushing the blade aside as he delivered another swing. The dark warrior leapt above its reach, floating far above his opponent

Jumping towards him, the boy began another combo, swinging rapidly towards his opponent's neck. Vanitas smiled while effortlessly blocking every attack.

The grin turned to a frown, and Vanitas kicked Sora's side.

Surprised and in pain, Sora loosened his grip on his Keyblade… just enough for his rival to knock it away with the X-Blade.

Vanitas swung his blade toward the boy, certain that he would slice the adolescent's body in half.

Yet he never had the chance. Holding his hands parallel to one another, Sora caught the blade, slowing it down without bleeding one drop of blood. Yet the sharp edge continued to close in towards his face… Vanitas's older and stronger body completely outmatched his own.

Pushing off the X-Blade, Sora felt himself plummet toward the station. As he fell, he summoned the Ultima weapon in his hand, just as Vanitas aimed his weapon. The tip of the weapon flared, sending three fireballs toward the boy.

Glaring, the hero blocked the barrage with his Keyblade, returning all three to their sender.

Rolling his eyes, Vanitas snapped his fingers, dismissing the flames.

"What?" Sora exclaimed. "How'd you do that?"

"We're BEYOND human now, Sora," Vanitas answered. "Our abilities have been augmented a bit for this battle."

"Then prepare for the defeat of your life!" the light wielder taunted.

Sora aimed his Keyblade, sending currents of electricity rippling forth. Vanitas dodged the blast, soaring through the air like a hawk.

"Let me show you a TRUE Thundaga!" he mocked.

Aiming the X-Blade, Vanitas summoned a torrent of blue lightning. His eyes wide with shock, Sora cast Reflega, encasing him in a crystal igloo.

Yet the structure shattered like thin ice, knocking Sora back. Without even looking, the teenager cast his thunder spell again, this time not summoning lightning from his Keyblade…

But from the sky.

Like a thunderbolt from Zeus, lightning raced towards Vanitas, only to narrowly miss the airborne warrior.

Instead, the voltage was headed for the station. Exactly where the Keyblade Graveyard was depicted.

* * *

Aqua panted heavily, staring at the decaying form of Vanitas's final sentiment.

Terra helped her up while Riku, Mickey, and Kairi approached them.

"Wow… and here I thought the Nobodies were the toughest monsters I've seen," the redhead noted.

"Unversed are incredibly strong," Aqua agreed.

Suddenly, a shockwave erupted throughout the canyon, splitting the earth and knocking the warriors on their backs.

"Did Vanitas unlock Kingdom Hearts?" Mickey yelled.

Terra looked up, seeing that the moon hadn't changed. "Not yet."

A second eruption followed, carving huge trenches piercing with light into the ground. The light began to swirl into a huge abyss, sucking everything in like a blackhole.

Pressing his hands against a rocky formation, the King faced the others. "Grab on to something!"

Immediately the others stabbed their Keyblades deep into the wasteland. Ironically though, the mouse and the rock were instantly ripped from what remained of the surface, falling toward the light.

Aqua stared in horror as she lost yet another friend. "MICKEY!"

She moved her free hand towards her incomplete armor…

Only to have something firmly hold it in place.

The woman turned, seeing Terra squeezing her arm. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to save him!" she explained.

"You can't!" Terra countered. "This isn't like falling into the Realm of Darkness, Aqua. If we go in… I'm not sure if there's any going back. I won't lose you!"

"It doesn't matter either way," Kairi called out.

The duo turned to her with some sense of astonishment.

She lowered her gaze. "If Vanitas gains Kingdom Hearts, everything will fall apart anyway."

"Don't worry, Kairi," Aqua assured her. "Sora's not gone for good."

"What?" the girl asked.

The bluenette glanced toward her male friend. "When Terra was possessed by Xehanort, he wasn't gone. His heart… his individuality… it was still there. He even fought back! With his help, I defeated Xehanort for a moment. That's why I know Sora isn't finished. His heart's too strong to fade away."

A huge cracking noise snapped them out of their thoughts. Everything in the canyon was completely fracturing, not leaving an inch of dust or dirt immobile.

The warriors held on to their Keyblades… until they realized their weapons had nothing left to hold on to. The ground beneath them had completely dissipated.

They screamed, louder than ever before as they sank into the blinding vortex.

* * *

Vanitas stared down at the broken stained glass section. He tapped his chin a few times. "You didn't have to break it…"

"What just happened?" Sora inquired in shock.

Vanitas descended, his dark sandals soundlessly resting against the stained glass of another world. He picked up a shard of the Keyblade Graveyard, only to watch it dissolve into dust.

"Looks like you just killed all your friends," Vanitas stated.

As Sora gaped in horror, he smiled. "Nice job! You have been such a big help these past few days!"

The boy looked down in shock. He couldn't believe they were all gone.

Aqua… his friend and mentor…

Terra… a man wronged by fate and maniacs…

Mickey… the King who acted humbler than most peasants…

Riku… the boy he once saw as an older brother…

Kairi… more than a girl… more than a princess… more than an ordinary friend to him…

He felt everything build up. His rage… his bliss… his anger.

Compassion crossed with egotism…

Serenity merged with anger…

And in the fusion of light and darkness… a power emerged that Sora had never truly tapped into before…

Twilight.

Vanitas was stunned at the sight before him. White and black streaks completely enveloped the teenager. They continued to spin, sending off flares of every color and blurring Sora's form.

"What's going on?" the man asked out.

The streaks slowly halted, revealing the boy within. Vanitas looked upon him with shock…

And with fear.

Sora's clothes were no longer the mix of black, white and red. Yet they didn't resemble any of the drive forms he had used in the past either.

Instead, his outfit was mostly black with gold trimming along his shoulders and sides.

Unlike anything he had worn before though, the bright parts seemed to glow… and the dark parts seemed to cloud.

"What are you?" Vanitas asked.

Sora opened his eyes, the blue orbs luminously filled with determination.

"I'm just a kid," he said.

Vanitas's expression spoke of pure perplexity at first. Soon enough, he laughed. More maniacally than he ever had.

"That's right!" the man told him. "I don't care what lights show you conjure up… you're just a little boy who's in over his head!"

Intending to prove it, Vanitas charged, swinging his blade towards Sora. Summoning Oathkeeper and Oblivion, the younger man blocked the strike…

Only to watch as orange plasma leaked from the attack, taking the horizontal shape of an X. Vanitas smiled, expecting the energy to scorch his opponent's body.

Yet it didn't.

Wherever the aura smashed against Sora, small crystal shields appeared to dispel the attack.

Sora clashed his blades against Vanitas's, surprising the man with his newfound strength. Slowly the two pushed, each intending to win the deadlock. Vanitas gritted his teeth, feeling his heels slowly shred against the mosaic beneath him.

Seeing that the man's Keyblade was nearly touching his face, Sora took his chance. He broke the engagement, majestically slashing his blades across his opponent's head.

Rather than decapitating him, Sora merely made the man's face grow fuzzy. As if it weren't real…

Familiar with this trick, the boy turned around, striking his blade against Vanitas's torso.

Yet it seemed THIS Vanitas was a fake as well!

Frustrated, Sora looked underneath him, slightly relieved that Vanitas hadn't used the same trick that he once did.

Yet out of the corner of his eye, something seemed to be approaching.

Whipping his head up, Sora found Vanitas gliding towards him with the forsaken Keyblade extended.

Sora entered his own Sonic Blade form, speeding towards Vanitas…

Only to miss.

Undaunted, they rushed towards one another yet again, propelled by their respective elements of darkness and twilight.

Sora slashed his blade against Vanitas's, only to have the adult roundhouse kick him across the face.

The boy was knocked back, and would have face-planted the floor if his newfound power hadn't kept him afloat.

He looked up, only to see Vanitas holding his Keyblade in the air.

From the tip of the blade came an X…

And another…

And more…

Until dozens of giant projectiles accelerated towards the boy.

Sora summoned a Reflega shield, the crystals now glowing a golden hue. As each blast impacted the dome, it completely fell apart.

The youth dismissed his barrier, only to find that Vanitas had summoned his own. The shield was a black orb, just like the one Sora had used.

Yet this time… something was different. It had red lines pulsing across it.

The red lines shot into the sky, forming a larger sphere around the dueling males.

Slowly sections of the sphere began to morph into humans… into men…

Into Vanitas.

Countless identical clones of the fully grown Keyblade wielder now surrounded Sora. And they all had the same dark smirk on their faces.

"You can't win, Sora!" they said in unison.

The clones darted towards him, provoking him to cast Reflega again. Each exploded against the shield, becoming nothing more than a puff of darkness.

Unfortunately though, Sora was already begin to sweat. His magic reserves were dwindling… if he didn't act soon, the barrier would fall apart and he would be crushed.

He needed help… he needed his friends…

But they were gone. This time, Sora had to fight on his own.

For some strange reason… that didn't seem to bother him. As if he saw this as an opportunity to prove himself.

As a second chance. And Sora was determined to take it.

Holding Oathkeeper to stabilize the barrier, the warrior raised his other hand for another purpose. Relying on all the magic he was capable of producing, Sora widened his eyes in pain.

"Twilight!" he declared.

The light erupted from his barrier, evaporating all of Vanitas's frauds into dark smoke.

Sora panted, smiling at first…

Only to frown at the sight of Vanitas's dark dome. The barrier vanished, revealing the dark haired man.

"You can't destroy me, Sora," he explained. "Darkness can never be destroyed… it can only be channeled!"

"Then I'll channel you into the void of inexistence," Sora replied.

Vanitas chuckled. "Let's see you try."

Sora flung his Keyblades at him, intending to slice the demon into pieces.

Apathetically, Vanitas raised his hand, summoning a black wall that knocked away the Strike Raid.

Biting his lip, Sora blasted balls of light toward Vanitas.

The man summoned a shield again, completely dispelling the attacks.

"Two Keyblades are no match against a superior being's darkness!" Vanitas yelled.

Widening his eyes, the boy smiled.

"You're right," he responded.

Sora dismissed his Keyblades, closing his eyes in concentration.

Vanitas looked on with puzzlement. "Is that it? You're just giving up?"

The teenager made no response. He simply stood there, motioning his hands now and then.

Sighing, Vanitas slowly strolled towards him. "Foolish boy… this is your vainest effort yet."

Suddenly, something bright lightly fell against the floor in front of Vanitas. Staring in confusion, he realized it was a Keyblade. Yet something didn't make sense…

Sora hadn't been using that weapon.

The man looked up…

And could only gape at what he saw.

Dozens of Keyblades were forming in the sky above him… each with its own design and color scheme.

"Wh-what kind of trick is this?" he yelled.

"These are all the Keychains I've collected in my travels," Sora explained. "I figured I'd put them to a good use."

Vanitas leapt into the air, trying to fly away. Yet no matter where he went… no matter how fast he glided…

The Keys hovered right above him.

The man landed, glaring at Sora. "This doesn't make sense! You only have two hearts inside you! You should only be able to wield two Keyblades!"

"Didn't you get the memo?" the boy asked.

Vanitas deadpanned, incapable of comprehending what he meant in his stunned state.

Sora grinned. "I'm BEYOND human."

His eyes filled with fright, Vanitas summoned his dark barrier, pouring as much darkness into it as he could.

The Keyblade hero tightened his fists, sending the weapons raining down on his opponent. Each Keyblade cracked the shield, and returned to the sky above after doing so.

It was a never ending cycle… a battle Vanitas was doomed to lose…

And all he could do was squirm inside his self-induced cage.

The ceiling of the shield began falling apart, revealing a huge hole.

Vanitas sprinted out of the orb… only to be knocked over by the Kingdom Key.

Lying on his back… he stared as the Keyblades fell toward him.

The man closed his eyes, waiting for the pain to come at any moment.

He heard countless clinks of metal.

Luckily though, he never felt any pain. Vanitas opened his eyes, seeing that Sora had created a floating cage of Keyblades around him. Upon merely touching one, Vanitas felt a burning sensation against his cold darkness.

Sora approached the cage, receiving a leer from the older warrior. "Couldn't do it, huh? You just couldn't put the nail in the coffin."

The boy shrugged. "Who needs nails when you have darkness?"

Vanitas stared as Sora's weapons began to glow black. Suddenly, hundreds of Dark Firagas pounded against him, slowly burning away every fiber of his existence.

"AUGHHHHHHHH!" the adult shrieked like a child. "DAMN… YOU… DARKNESS!"

His face was the last to go, soon morphing into a formless cloud. And instantly, the cloud dissolved, entering its own state of inexistence.

Sora dismissed the Keyblades, smiling to himself.

"**Well done… Sora,"** a voice called out.

The boy looked up, realizing it had come from the skies.

He narrowed his gaze. "Kingdom Hearts?"

"**You learn fast… I possess a mind and voice of my own, believe it or not,"** it replied. **"And I intend to use these rarely touched elements to say this… thank you, Sora… the worlds are forever in your debt."**

Sora crossed his arms, thinking of the problems that remained.

His fellow Keyblade warriors were gone.

Ven still lied fast asleep in Castle Oblivion.

Xion was still hidden in his heart.

So many things had to be repaired.

The boy looked up, his blue orbs bristling with hope. "Could you… return the favor?"

* * *

The ocean…

It was the first thing Aqua heard.

Slowly fluttering her eyes opening, the woman found herself on the beach of Destiny Islands.

"Glad to see you're up," a friendly voice said.

The woman gazed up in shock.

His brown hair hadn't changed a bit.

Nor his clothes… nor his eyes…

Not even that goofy smile.

Everything was the same as it once had been… as it was meant to be.

"SORA!"

She hugged her pupil, feeling tears of relief roll down her cheeks.

He returned the embrace, realizing that his master didn't seem much taller anymore.

The two broke apart, yet before either could speak again, another person got to his feet.

"Glad to see you're alright, Sora," Terra told him.

The boy smiled. "Thanks, Terra."

Suddenly a deep moan was heard. Ventus… now an adult like his best friends… stretched out his back. "Man, sleeping for over a decade makes you drowsy."

He turned, widening his eyes at the sight. "Aqua! Terra!"

The adult embraced his best friends, smiling joyfully. "I'm so glad you're both alright."

As the trio reunited, Sora noticed a duck awaken as well.

"Huh… where am I?" he spoke in his strange accent.

He widened his eyes at the sight of Destiny Islands.

Whipping his head back and forth in surprise, the duck began shaking the dog beside him. "Wake up you sleepy head!"

Ceasing his snoring, Goofy got to his feet, saluting. "Captain of the guard reporting for duty, King Mickey! Donald is late as usual, I presume?"

Realizing he wasn't at roll call, the animal sheepishly smiled at Donald. "Gawrsh… guess we're not at the castle, huh?"

"Grrrr… GOOFY!" Donald yelled between his trademark quacks.

Suddenly, the creatures felt a mouse embrace them. "Goofy… Donald! We made it!"

Sora smiled at the second trio's reunion, yet passed them to join with his own.

On the far end of the beach lied his friends.

Riku…

Kairi…

And even… a new friend… one he never had the chance to meet.

The dark haired girl slowly opened her eyes, happily smiling at what she saw. "The islands…"

She tilted her head, seeing Sora standing before her. "Sora?"

He nodded. "Nice to meet you… Xion."

The two shook hands, yet it was brief.

For Xion saw a familiar face lying against the sand.

Throughout her later days in the organization, the boy acted as a guide for her. He gave the puppet advice when she wanted it… and understanding when she needed it.

Xion shook Riku's sleeping form. "Hey, get up you lazy bum!"

Immediately, his eyes shot open. "Whoa! That's NOT my nickname-"

Suddenly, the man looked at the girl before him in shock. She was older… physically the same age as Kairi. Her dark hair reached past her shoulders.

And her lips… the lips he once found as soft and adorable…

Were luscious and smiling.

"Xion!" he exclaimed happily.

The two hugged one another, leaving Sora to wake his final friend.

Well… a 'friend' for now… who knew what the future held…

Rather than wake Kairi, he lied beside her, softly keeping her in his developed arms.

The woman opened her eyelids halfway, smiling at Sora.

"Sora…" she said.

Kairi closed her eyes, snuggling closer to him. "I love this dream."

Narrowing his eyes, Sora cocked his head a bit. "This isn't a dream, Kairi."

THAT got her awake.

Immediately jumping to her feet, the girl began to blush. "Of course not, hahaha… I was just kidding around!"

He laughed, still smiling at her.

She gazed into his eyes, not breaking her line of vision at all.

"What is it?" he asked with a frown.

She swallowed a bit. "I… I'm just amazed I didn't lose you."

"Sora," Terra said.

The teenager turned to see everyone approaching him.

"Don't worry guys, everything's fixed," he responded. "No more Heartless… no more Nobodies… and look at the horizon!"

The group gazed at the sun, shocked at the sight.

"The Land of Departure," Aqua remarked.

In the distance, no more than a mile away from the islands, stood a vast green meadow with the adult trio's castle at the center.

"You repaired all the worlds?" Kairi asked.

The boy nodded. "Yep. And Vanitas is gone for good."

The first generation of Keyblade wielders continued staring.

"I call the master's bedroom," Ven stated.

Terra shook his head. "Sorry, only the oldest one gets that giant room… which would be ME."

Aqua put her arms around the two. "Actually, Master Eraqus put ME in charge of the castle, so I'll be calling the shots."

"This isn't fair!" Ven. "I miss out on the best years of my life… and now I have to sleep in a kid-sized bed!"

Terra and Aqua began laughing, with Ven joining them soon enough.

Riku turned to his old friend. "Kingdom Hearts is that powerful, huh?"

He nodded. "I was shocked honestly."

The white haired one crossed his arms. "So did you do anything else?"

Sora smirked a bit. "Well…"

Riku glared at him. He hated when Sora smiled like that.

It wasn't the innocent grin…

It was a mischievous smirk.

"Sora, what did you do?" Riku asked.

The boy shrugged. "Why are you so apprehensive, Riku? The fun's a lot closer than you think."

"IT SURE IS!" a voice called out.

The group turned to see Lea smiling with his hands raised. "And tonight we PARTY!"

* * *

Omnipotent spirits sure knew how to have a good time. Courtesy of Kingdom Hearts, the mainland of Destiny Islands was filled with decorations and people from across the worlds. All the friends Sora had made… new and old… were coming together for a good time.

And who else to provide the entertainment but the theme song guy from Kuzco's kingdom?

"HIT IT!" Kuzco exclaimed.

Immediately the afro man began serenading the crowds, shouting with a voice that only royalty could afford.

* * *

Lea sat in one corner, chatting with Xion.

"So you forgot about me?" the girl asked.

He deadpanned. "No."

"Yes you did!" she countered. "It's okay to admit it… I know it wasn't your fault."

"I didn't forget you, Xion!" he assured her.

She stared, a smiling forming on her lips.

The man turned away, fiddling with his cup. "I just never thought about you."

Smiling out of the corner of his mouth, Lea was caught off guard as Xion splashed her cup in his face. The two began laughing happily.

Suddenly, Riku sat between them. "Could you give us a minute?"

Lea shrugged. "If you want to make out with her, there's this great cave at the play island."

The boy glared at him, making the redhead shake his hands in innocence. "Okay, okay I get it… sheesh it was just a joke."

Xion stared at Riku curiously. "Something wrong?"

He shook his head. "No, not at all. I just wanted to apologize."

"For what?" she asked.

The boy was a bit surprised, yet held his apologetic tone. "For forgetting you… for trying to make you give up your existence just so I could satisfy my own goals…"

"Your goal wasn't selfish, Riku," she answered. "You were trying to help your friend… I understood that then… and I understand it now."

"And you're not angry for me losing my memory of you?" Riku asked.

She smirked. "If you really want to make up for it, then how about dinner sometime?"

He smiled. "Wouldn't you rather just have ice cream?"

The two laughed, already reveling in the memories of their past together.

* * *

Zurg stood happily beside Buzz.

"Son, I'm so happy everything's at peace now!" he said. "I'm ready for some real father son bonding. Like fishing!"

Buzz shook his head. "Sorry dad, I hate fish."

"Throwing the ball around?" he inquired.

The space ranger didn't comply. "Not a good catcher."

Zurg crossed his arms. "Erm... how about going to a football game?"

Surprisingly enough, Buzz smiled. "I'd like that, dad... I really would."

Suddenly, Rex interrupted them, screaming as he ran around in circles.

"Where's my tail!" he yelled. "Has anybody seen my tail? Just because it can be detached doesn't mean it should!"

* * *

The limbo contest was yet another highlight of the night. Shorter than most, Stitch confidently walked horizontally underneath a two foot high stick, putting the other contenders to shame as the continued to trip or fall.

Lilo tried as well, yet couldn't get down as far as her friend.

"Darn it, Stitch, it isn't fair that you can walk like that!" she complained.

Laughing maniacally, the dog-like creature hopped on her shoulder, noticing Jumba and Pleakley nearby.

"I must say, the decor here is absolutely FANTASTIC!" Pleakley announced.

Jumba dimmed his four eyes. "Eh, it's okay."

The green alien glared at him. "Oh, so it would only be nice if there were weapons and other destructive devices around here?"

The larger alien mirrored the leer. "My father was a design expert, actually, so do not lecture me!

Pleakley gaped in shock. "I... I had no idea your family was so cultured, Jumba! What did he work on?"

The huge being smiled. "Mostly war vessels.

* * *

Pacha held his lover softly as a slow song began.

"I can't believe you helped Sora save the worlds," she said.

He chuckled. "Yeah, who knew going on an adventure with an insane llama to fight tons of monsters would be one of the greatest moments of my life…"

"HEY!" Kuzco yelled as he popped up between them. "I wasn't THAT insane. Disturbed, yes… selfish, yes… but not crazy!"

Pacha glared at him. "You were too! You tried to kill me!"

The emperor rolled his eyes. "Again, DISTURBED… not insane."

Chicha smiled, amused by their playful argument.

"Well next time you insult me, check your dictionary!" Kuzco lectured.

The youth stormed off, leaving the woman confused. "Is he gonna be okay?"

Pacha nodded. "Oh yea, he'll be fine. Like I said, he's disturbed."

The woman chuckled, holding her husband closely.

And as they did, a conflicted redhead nearby couldn't help but watch them.

* * *

For some, the sound of waves brought complete solitude and calm. This simple form of serenity truly made the islands feel like a home for Sora. The young man sat on the edge of the dock, stroking his legs back and forth in the water as he had done countless times before. He breathed deeply, the air refreshing him as a smile overtook his face. He gazed out toward the sea, fascinated by the flaming sunset.

For a moment, he pondered what the sun even was at this point.

Stars were worlds, so what was the sun?

Questions like these made Sora wonder how much he still had to learn.

"Sora," a voice called out.

He turned, noticing HER sit beside him.

"Hey," he said. "I thought you were down at the party still?"

Kairi shrugged. "It was an amazing party… but something was missing."

His eyebrows furrowed. "Really? What?"

"I saw Pacha and his wife," she replied. "They're so happy together. Looking at them today made me realize that. The two of them holding each other… both at the pinnacle of human joy…"

"You want happiness too," Sora stated.

She turned to him. "Only with you."

He smiled, holding her hand. "You've had enough time to think?"

"Yea," she answered. "I have feelings for you, Sora… I always have. And I want to explore them."

It seemed he wanted to do some exploring of his own. In no more than a second, Sora had his lips pressed against Kairi's, his tongue softly finding its way into her mouth.

The two passionately kissed, their auras fusing underneath the sun.

And as they held each other, Sora took out something...

Something he always made sure to keep safe.

Kairi widened her eyes at the sight of it as she broke the kiss. "My lucky charm..."

"I kept it safe," he replied. "I always held myself to that promise from years ago."

Smiling warmly, Kairi leant her head against Sora, resting alongisde him underneat the glamorous sunset.

Each of the two was dear to the other…

And each of the two was beloved.

**~THE END~**


End file.
